Gigantic Rare Whale, washes up dead on a Heaphy beach, New Zealand

HAYLEY GALE

Last updated 13:44 19/09/2011

JOHN HUGHES/Nelson Mail

A beautiful thing but very sad

                       RARE FIND: A gigantic rare whale, possibly a fin whale, has been washed up dead on a Heaphy beach.

A 15-metre-long whale beached on the high tide on Saturday about noon, 2km south of the Heaphy River on the West Coast.

Appleby resident Graham Postles was cycling the Heaphy Track towards Karamea when he saw the whale.

It had obviously only just died as there was no smell, Mr Postles said. “There was hardly a mark on it. It was a beautiful thing but very sad.”

His friend, John Hughes, of Greymouth, was cycling the track from Karamea to meet him.

“You just don’t realise how big these whales are until you’re standing right beside it,” Mr Hughes said.

Seeing it so close up was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, he said.

Mr Hughes contacted the Westport Department of Conservation office and sent photos of the whale.

A spokeswoman from the office said staff were heading to the Heaphy today to identify the species and take measurements and DNA samples.

The whale is a type of baleen whale which feeds by straining small shrimp-like animals through its gigantic baleen plates.

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