A day after a pod of melon-headed whales was successfully herded out of Hanalei Bay, Brad Ryon, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries division confirmed that a carcass of a melon-headed whale was reported to lifeguards
A day after a pod of melon-headed whales was successfully herded out of Hanalei Bay, Brad Ryon, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries division confirmed that a carcass of a melon-headed whale was reported to lifeguards at Hanalei Bay on Monday.
Ryon said he received a call from the lifeguards who said a member of the public had reported discovering the carcass some time between noon and 1 p.m. Monday.
“The carcass has been put on ice, and will be FedExed to specialists in California,” Ryon said.
Ryon said that based on reports received from the Hanalei water safety officers, the animal that was found washed ashore was a young whale, or yearling.
Wendy Goo, a public information officer with the NOAA fisheries division confirmed that the carcass will be flown to California for a full necropsy, scans, and other tests to try and determine a cause of death for the animal.
The pod, estimated at between 100-150 whales, had made their appearance Saturday morning at Hanalei Bay, and following the arrival of NOAA officials from O‘ahu, a successful attempt at herding the pod back out to open ocean took place Sunday morning utilizing members of the community canoe clubs, fishermen, and other volunteers.
