Dead Dwarf sperm whale at Kianga beach, Narooma, New South Wales, Australia

STAN GORTON

14 Sep, 2011 12:13 PM

A SMALL whale believed to be a dwarf sperm whale has washed up on the north end of Kianga beach.

WHALE WASHED UP: The small whale was washed up by the high tide on the north end of Kianga Beach.

Resident and former Montague tour guide Mark Westwood went and checked out the 1.5m-long whale on Monday and initially identified it as what he believed was a pygmy sperm whale.

He also notified the Narooma office of National Parks and Wildlife.

Ranger Helen Hayward said while initial thoughts were that it could have been a premature-born Pygmy sperm whale, additional consultation with whale experts now led her to believe it was a juvenile dwarf sperm whale.

These whales unusually have their blowholes off to the left of the top of its head and have a very unique mouth.

This particular whale had been dead for some days with wounds caused by scavengers, including cookie-cutter sharks and birds, probably coming after death. The cause of death is unknown.

Very similar to Pygmy sperm whales, the dwarf sub-species are even smaller and tend to live in shallower water.

The smallest of whales, Pygmy sperm whales only grow to around 3 metres and live in the deep off the continental shelf feeding on squid.

Rarely seen alive, 83 have washed up or stranded on shorelines around Australia.

Now that the details of the whale have been collected and forwarded to National Parks office, Eurobodalla Shire Council has been notified of the carcase that they may try and bury it.

In an interesting coincidence, a sea snake probably more at home in tropical waters also was spotted washed up on Kianga beach.

naroomanewsonline.com.au

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