It was, yes. Much of the soft tissue was gone when I got there, maybe 3-4 hours after the process seemed to being (based on what I could see from the whale watch boat at 10 on our way out that morning). I am not sure what was being done with with the guts, but the skeleton was to be buried so that Mother Nature would take care of “cleaning it” so it could later find its way to a museum or something. Definitely a reminder of how things can change in an instant, especially since this was such a young whale.
I did see the whale and i agree the smell is something i will always remember..It was very sad but i also just had to see and touch the whale..It was quite an experience to be part of this incident..
I was tempted to touch the baleen and upper jaw, but was leery of what bacteria might have been growing on a dead whale. I completely agree that it was quite an experience!
Susan on 25 May 2009 at 1:48 am #
Wow. Was the big machine scooping out the guts and taking them away. It sure is reminder of how transient we all are.
Susan
Amy on 25 May 2009 at 4:38 am #
It was, yes. Much of the soft tissue was gone when I got there, maybe 3-4 hours after the process seemed to being (based on what I could see from the whale watch boat at 10 on our way out that morning). I am not sure what was being done with with the guts, but the skeleton was to be buried so that Mother Nature would take care of “cleaning it” so it could later find its way to a museum or something. Definitely a reminder of how things can change in an instant, especially since this was such a young whale.
Amy
The Perils of Being A Whale on 28 May 2009 at 2:54 am #
[...] them here. Just please, be aware of what’s in here because it’s graphic stuff. View the fin whale necropsy photos – viewer be [...]
Dana on 01 Jun 2009 at 2:24 am #
I did see the whale and i agree the smell is something i will always remember..It was very sad but i also just had to see and touch the whale..It was quite an experience to be part of this incident..
Amy on 01 Jun 2009 at 8:52 pm #
I was tempted to touch the baleen and upper jaw, but was leery of what bacteria might have been growing on a dead whale. I completely agree that it was quite an experience!