Rare Pygmy sperm whale found dead on West Dorset beach
A dead Pygmy Sperm Whale has been washed up Hive Beach, its one of only sightings of the animal ever recorded in the UK
A rare Pygmy sperm whale has been washed up dead on a West Dorset beach.
The Dorset Wildlife Trust are calling on us to look after our oceans after it was alerted to the mammal on Hive Beach on Friday (10th December.)
The pygmy sperm whale washed ashore on Thursday and is one of only around 10 recorded sightings of it.
It was a youngster measuring less than 1.8m long and may have died at sea and been carried inshore by Storm Barra last week.
The body has been collected by the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) at the Natural History Museum in London for further investigation. The cause of death was not obvious, although there was some damage to the skin and fins.
The Trust say little knowledge known about the whales highlights the importance of protecting our oceans. They aim to win protection for 30% of our land sea by 2030.
What is a Pygmy sperm whale?
They are a type of toothed whale, like sperm and killer whales, but only measure up to a maximum 3.35m long, making them more dolphin sized.
Although they are widespread around the globe, they prefer deep water, are not sociable and keep a very low profile when at the surface.
Also known as Kogia breviceps,they have a dark grey back with a paler, sometimes pinkish underside. The blunt, rounded head is distinctive, as is the under-slung jaw with tiny, needle-shaped teeth only on the lower jaw. It feeds on deep-diving squid and fish and has a very unusual survival strategy in that it expels a dark fluid to mask its escape when threatened.
What to do if you find a dead animal washed up?
Dorset Wildlife Trust records all dead-stranded cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in Dorset and works closely with the CSIP to report and recover mammals for post-mortem examination and to discover more about them and the causes of death. Fortunately, by liaising over this stranding with CSIP it was possible to record and recover it quickly for further investigation.
If you find a live-stranded cetacean, please contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue (01825 765546 – 24 hours) urgently to engage a rescue. Never try to return it to the sea. If you find a dead-stranded animal, inform Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 264620 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) or CSIP on 0800 652 0333.
You can support The Wildlife Trusts’ aim to win protection for 30% of our land and sea by 2030 here.