Chief Conservation Officer Department of Environment Mark Orr (left) and DoE Research Assistant Janice Blumenthal take measurements and DNA samples from a beached whale found on Bat Cave Beach in Savannah. (Photo by Kevin Shereves)

By Kevin Shereves
Kevin@caymannetnews.com

Savannah residenst received quite a surprise when a dead whale washed up on Bat Cave Beach in Savannah on Tuesday 27 October adjacent to a private property owned by Eldon and Pat KirkConnell.

Research Assistant at the Department of Environment (DoE) Janice Blumenthal and DoE Chief Conservation Officer, Mark Orr arrived on scene and took samples of the specimen.

“We measured the whale and removed some teeth and took DNA samples for analysis said Mark Orr Chief Conservation Officer Department of Environment,” Ms Blumenthal explained.

The whale measured 3.4 meters or 11.5 feet, and DoE officials speculate that it is a Pygmy sperm whale, noting that further tests will confirm the exact species.

The DoE officers are also speculating that the mammal may have been dead for approximately 24 hours when it was found.

“We get a lot of whales migrating in the deep waters off the shores of Grand Cayman but they are mostly seen by fishermen while out at sea,” Ms Blumenthal added.

Pat KirkConnell was the first to spot the beached whale she said, “I usually get up early and go for a swim down by the beach, but when I got up this morning and looked out at the ocean I was surprised to see what I thought was a giant fish washed up on the beach.”

She said, “I quickly went inside and called my husband, he took one look and said that it was a whale.”

“We were both very surprised because we have lived here since the early 1970’s and have never seen anything like this before,” Mr KirkConnell added.

Savannah resident, Geraldine Duckworth, saw the specimen from her home a few hundred feet away.

“It surprised me mostly because I thought it was a shark. A shark would have produced more of a reaction than a whale. It is the first time that I have ever seen anything like this,” she said.

The Pygmy sperm whale is one of the smallest whale species and is not much larger than a dolphin. They are about 1.2 meters at birth, growing to about 3.5 m at maturity. Adults weigh about 400kg.

Pygmy sperm whales are said to be a rare sight and most of the available data comes from stranded specimens. They are found in the temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are solitary creatures but have been seen in groups of up to six. Primary food sources are squid and crabs.

The DoE is asking anyone who sees sharks, marine mammals, large turtles, manta rays and other unusual sea creatures to call the Department of Environment and report all sightings.

Ms Blumenthal said the DoE will be launching a programme next week exploring different species of marine mammals and sharks in Grand Cayman.

“We are very interested in documenting different species and the project will be a joint venture between the DoE and a group called Save our Seas.”

“We are just trying to get a handle on migratory and unusual specimens in our waters,” she said.
The (DoE) can be reached at doe@gov.ky or 9498469