The National Whale Stranding Recording Scheme
Recent Events
January 2002
On 03 Jan 2002, a 2.88m (9.45ft) adult pygmy sperm whale was stranded at Thurlestone Sands in south Devon. That abrasions were found mainly on the ventral (under) surface of the animal, together with internal indications, point to the animal as having stranded while alive.
As a deep water species, the pygmy sperm whale is not well known. The relatively few strandings that have occurred have provided valuable information. Only seven strandings have been recorded in Britain since 1913. Another two were recorded from Eire. Where the gender has been known, only one of the animals has been male. The genital openings in the above image show that the animal in this stranding was female.
The characteristic undulations on the dorsal (upper) ridge of the tail stock are evident. The animal was moved to dry land by tying and using a rope around the tail stock.
In the above image, the pronounced central notch between the tail flukes is visible. Also visible are serrations in the right tail fluke. These have the exact size and shape to have been caused by a bite from another Pygmy Sperm Whale. The circumstance under which such a bite might have occurred remain uncertain.
Showing the long teeth in the lower jaw and a natural absence of teeth in the top jaw.
The underslung mouth with prominent teeth, the pointed profile of the nose, and crescentic marking coming down behind the eye, resembling a gill opening (faint in the above image) occasionally causes confusion of the species with a shark. The horizontally arranged tail dispells this confusion immediately, as does the presence of a blow hole.
The Thurlestone animal showed signs of having been ill. It was emaciated, with the natural fat storage (blubber) on the upper flanks forward of the top fin (shoulder region) being less than expected. Large worms were found in lesions and blind abcesses in this area. The above image shows one of the worms being removed for laboratory study. A similar infestation 'in muscle and blubber of the shoulder region' was recorded in one of the Eire Pygmy Sperm Whales (1985, nr Silver Strand, Barna, County Galway). That stranding was reported in the Irish Naturalists Journal Vol.22(4): p164.
We are grateful to Brixham Sea Watch, The National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth, and The Cornish Biological Records Unit, for information and help with this Pygmy Sperm Whale stranding.