World's oldest whale

[treesparrow]

Dead whale beached in Denmark was world's oldest, say experts


Copenhagen - A whale which died after being stranded in a Danish fjord earlier this year was 130-140 years old - making it likely the oldest known whale to date, officials said Tuesday.

The age was determined after analysis of the fin whale's carcass conducted at the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen.

Initial estimates had put the whale's age at 15 to 20 years. However, analysis of amino acids in the whale's eyes proved it was more likely to have been 130 to 140 years old, museum conservator Abdi Hedayat told the local newspaper Lokal-Bladet Budstikken.

"That makes it the world's oldest, scientifically described whale," he said.

A 116-year-old fin whale held the previous longevity record.

The beached whale was spotted in June at several locations in western Denmark before it became stranded in the Vejle Fjord.

Several attempts to free the whale failed after it swam back to shallow waters. The whale's struggle attracted hundreds of bystanders.

The whale was not particularly large, measuring some 17 metres, which is seven metres shorter than the largest known fin whale.

Hedayat said the old whale might have suffered from brittleness of the bones, but that had not been established.

Posted by Earth Times Staff

_http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351471,denmark-worlds-oldest-experts.html

 

[Laura]

Very sad. I like whales!

 

[Ben]

The beached whale was spotted in June at several locations in western Denmark before it became stranded in the Vejle Fjord.

Several attempts to free the whale failed after it swam back to shallow waters. The whale's struggle attracted hundreds of bystanders.

_http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351471,denmark-worlds-oldest-experts.html

It makes you wonder what causes an animal which has been navigating the oceans for decades essentially commit suicide. Perhaps it was because of its age? The fact is that whales of all ages beach themselves and we're just not sure why. One thing that we can be sure of it that is not due to lack of intelligence or ability, ceteceans (particularly dolphins as most people are aware) have massive brains relative to their size and sophisticated language and even culture. Whales rule!

 

[David]

Thirty-five Pilot whales beached and died on an island off Burtonport in Co Donegal recently (Ireland).
www.rte.ie/news/2010/1106/whales.html

“The whales were discovered this afternoon on a beach on Rutland Island and are understood to be pilot whales, mostly mothers and calves.”


Its one thing when a single whale louses the battle or the plot, then its another for a whole family to beach themselves, well so it seems …

Sometimes I wonder if its such a strong bond between each and all whales that causes such mutual and seemingly destructive action to their selves or its just some external natural or unnatural field (EM) that causes such things to happen

I wonder if there is a connection between the whale beached in demark and the whales here, since it’s both in the northern hemisphere, but most likely just coincidence, maybe.. Anway...

(Edit added)

From National Paper Irish Independent today Monday 8th November, 2010.

British Navy Linked to beached whales.

“British naval activity off the Scottish coast may have lead to the mass beaching of 35 pilot whales….. “
“Simon Berrow of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group confirmed yesterday that deep diving pilot whales can beach because of gas embolism brought on by acoustic trauma”
“Naval exercises use a low frequency active sonar which is known to affect whales very badly. We are aware that the British Navy had been in the area off Scotland last weekend, although they have not confirmed that exercises were talking place”, he said.

I wonder if they were using anything else beside low frequency active sonar, such a thing might be responsible for the old whale giving up the ghost, not to mention the toxic pollution from the Gulf disaster.