Afishionado Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 Dead whale poses shipping threat The dead whale is said to be a hazard to shipping Sailors are being warned to be on the look-out for the body of a large dead whale seen floating in the Solent. The 80ft (25m) creature poses a danger to vessels in one of Britain's busiest shipping areas, coastguards say. The mammal has been sighted off Stokes Bay, near Gosport, Hampshire, and about six miles (10km) away at Bembridge, the Isle of Wight's most easterly point. Mad Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 Dead Whale to Be Towed to Land By Martin Halfpenny, PA News A dead 80ft fin whale which has been causing a shipping hazard will be towed to land and beached, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said tonight. The carcass of the mammal has been drifting in the Solent off Hampshire since the weekend. The MCA issued a local navigation warning because the whale is in one of Britain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 Why can't they just piece the body and let it sink to the bottom of the sea where it belongs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted August 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 There is a huge amount of body fat in a whale and as it is less dense than water the fat makes it float. Also I wonder if all that decaying material in a small area like the Solent would be a good idea. Mind you Portsmouth is on the Solent and you should smell that on a Friday night!!! Mad Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 I thought it's the gasses that make the carcass float? I read it from somewhere a whale body is very prone to explode, let hope there's no one around when it does .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Mikey, whist serving down in the Falklands, during my rough tough and hard to bluff years, we used to walk along "Whalebone Beach", a stretch of coastline where all dead whales down in the SA seemed to get washed up. The shoreline was strewn with huge triangular whale vertabrae, which seemed years and years old. So it appears that the carcass floated till eaten by killer whales, then drifted with the currents till it found its resting place. Maybe this is what happens in the Northern Hemisphere, they all end up over in Skatesville! Regards, Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Mikey, whist serving down in the Falklands, during my rough tough and hard to bluff years, we used to walk along "Whalebone Beach", a stretch of coastline where all dead whales down in the SA seemed to get washed up. The shoreline was strewn with huge triangular whale vertabrae, which seemed years and years old. So it appears that the carcass floated till eaten by killer whales, then drifted with the currents till it found its resting place. Maybe this is what happens in the Northern Hemisphere, they all end up over in Skatesville! Regards, Rich It must have been a very sureal experiance walking on a deserted coast with nothing but the gaunt time worn bones and the ghosts of these creatures. A place and a time for introspection I guess. Mad MIke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Indeed yes Mikey...............a little like the mess, as food supplies were awfully slow............and no fresh eggs, veggies, bread etc.......sometimes the best thing to do was go for a dive under the ice on a jolly with the submariners..........crumbs they must have no sense of smell!!!!!!! Great sea trout fishing though, used to flog em to the officers mess.............thats where me beer tokens came from!! Ah..............those were the days Regards, Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.