Sperm whale stands on Paraparaumu Beach, NZ, page


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reply posted on 15-1-2013 @ 07:21 PM by Swills
reply to post by muzzy



Oh, sperm whale stranded. I was expecting to see one standing on a beach in Paraparaumu, NZ. How sad, would have been a happier tale if the whale was standing instead.

edit on 15-1-2013 by Swills because: pour some out for your homey



reply posted on 15-1-2013 @ 08:27 PM by Doodle19815
reply to post by Sublimecraft



I hate to see all of the beautiful creatures on the beach dying. Even worse when they come in groups.

However, after pondering this for a few years, I believe that some of it is just natural. Take for instance this case,

In 1833 or 1834 this tension turned into a full fledged conflict in a dispute over a beached whale.

en.wikipedia.org...

And this site has even older claims, (along with a terrible story about hunting the whales).

Māori consider a beached whale a taonga (treasure) developing rich traditions around strandings. Before the arrival of the early European whalers in New Zealand, Māori did not hunt large whales, but profitted from these strandings as gifts of the sea, having therefore a minimal impact on whale populations.

whales.fieldmuseum.org...

So, some are not man's interference IMO, just natural cause. Though I would really love to know those natural causes.

I am sure that we have something to do with mass die offs, I just haven't been able to put my finger on it.


reply posted on 15-1-2013 @ 10:44 PM by sirjunlegun
reply to post by hashslinger
I have not laughed that hard at something sooooo stupid in a long time. The look on that old man s face looking at his smashed car is absolutely priceless.


reply posted on 15-1-2013 @ 10:54 PM by lokin
reply to post by hashslinger



Oh My Gosh! They blew up the whale!! I've never heard about this. What were they thinking??



reply posted on 16-1-2013 @ 07:26 AM by Sublimecraft
reply to post by Doodle19815



Agreed - indeed a small percentage can be attributed to natural occurrences.

My beef is when it happens in unorthodox large numbers.

I just decided to vent this morning as a consequence.


reply posted on 16-1-2013 @ 11:52 AM by muzzy
Sorry about the miss-spelling in the title, obviously it was supposed to be "strands".
It may have been misleading anyway, stranding usually means the whale was still alive, in this case it may have died at sea and been washed ashore on the high tide which was just after midnight.

The fisherman saying he had seen a whale thrashing about in the channel between the island is interesting, no one else reported seeing anything, a lot of people live along the coast and no doubt scan the coast every day.

This area does have a lot of whale traffic going through Cook Strait, crossing from the Tasman Sea through to the Pacific Ocean on the east side, they are going down to Kaikoura where there is good feeding in the Kaikoura Canyon.
Kapiti Island had a whaling station in the early European settlement period.

I'll keep an eye on the local media and see what they end up doing with the carcass. Where it is located is a popular place for locals to swim, boat launch and picnic, its right off the end of the village shopping centre and public park, so I can't imagine them digging a big hole and burying it right there due to the chance it could later become exposed.
In that vid on the DomPost link I wonder what the woman was thinking throwing sand on the whales jaw

It should be noted that it is around this time of year that there are usually strandings across the other side of Cook Strait, in the Farewell Spit area, it seems to happen every year, although a different species of whale.
www.strandings.blogspot.co.nz...
www.nzherald.co.nz...
en.wikipedia.org...
edit on 16-1-2013 by muzzy because: (no reason given)


this is probably worth a read
The New Zealand Whale Stranding Data Base (NZWSDB) was set up in association with the Department of Conservation. The NZWSDB contains 1140 records of whale strandings involving a total of 8287 individuals, 35 species, 163 herd strandings, and 304 known live strandings .............. pdf.
ir.canterbury.ac.nz...
edit on 16-1-2013 by muzzy because: (no reason given)



reply posted on 16-1-2013 @ 08:09 PM by kdog1982
reply to post by muzzy



So sad.
Wouldn't have been better to drag it far out to sea as a natural burial?

Peace,
K


reply posted on 17-1-2013 @ 05:38 PM by Doodle19815
Just wanted to pop in and leave this link.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I see absolutely nothing wrong with the Maori tradition. I think it is a wonderful thing that they are able to practice it.


reply posted on 17-1-2013 @ 09:23 PM by muzzy
reply to post by kdog1982



Not many boats that would be big enough on this side of the coast, would need a tug boat. Who's going to pay?
Always the chance it would wash back ashore, the currents are horrendous through Cook Strait.
There was a diver got lost here a few years back he was sweep up and down along the coast for 4 days before they found him.

My thoughts about the burial are, perhaps in a 1000 years some one will dig up the bones and speculate as to why a 15 metre whale is 1/4 mile in land from the sea
edit on 17-1-2013 by muzzy because: (no reason given)



reply posted on 17-1-2013 @ 09:33 PM by muzzy
reply to post by Doodle19815


If they were weak stomached why did they even go down there?
Anything dead is bound to be unpleasant.
Note the Maori took the jaw but left it to the Regional Council (us taxpayers $) to ditch the carcass.
Its called "selective customary rights".
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