WHALE WASHED ASHORE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30041, 28 January 1963, Page 8

WHALE WASHED ASHORE

Good Catch For

University

A 14ft whale which was discovered by holiday-makers at Camp Bay on Thursday was later dissected by a party from the University of Canterbury, and the skeleton removed for use in teaching. The party was led by Dr. D. Stonehouse. senior lecturer in zoology at the university. Dr. Stonehouse said the whale was a young male of the strap-toothed species, and had three broken ribs and a broken lower jaw. He thought it had been hit by something, possibly a fishing boat.

The whale was 13ft 9in long and weighed 18201 b. Adult strap-toothed whales grow up to 25ft. The species ha* been recorded on the New Zealand coast before, but they are not common. The whale found at Camp

Bay had blubber an inch and a half thick, and weighing about 4001 b, or a quarter of the mammal's total weight Dr. Stonehouse Mid they were lucky the whale was reported to the University so quickly. Often, he said, by the time a party from the university reached a whale or seal that had been washed ashore it. had been dead for some time, and sometimes local farmer* had taken much of the meat for dog food. “If they let us know first we would be glad to let them have the dog meat” said Dr. Stonehouae. adding that nearly fiOOlb of meat had been obtained from the Camp Bay whale. The university had “a sort of flying squad” ready to go out at short notice to where whales or seals were beached. He would be glad if finders would ring the university when strange fish and mammals were washed ashore.