Pygmy Whale Sperm Calf Strands at Emerald Isle

On Wednesday, a live pygmy sperm whale calf stranded alive at Emerald Isle. Pygmy sperm whales are pelagic, deep diving, squid eaters and are rarely seen at sea because they spend little time at the surface. Unfortunately, they often strand in mother-calf pairs, and many strand alive. This animal was a female, and her mother was not seen before, during, or after the response by the NC Aquarium Stranding team and NC State CMAST personnel. The calf died just before the team arrived on the scene. Most of what is known about this species has come from stranded animals.

NC Aquariums (Dr. Vicky Thayer), NC State University CMAST College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Residents (Dr. Laura Martinelli and Dr. Megan Roeder), an NC State CVM Research Specialist (C. McCall, M.S.),  an MS student in the Toxicology program, (Jacob Collins), and an undergraduate Semester at CMAST student responded and brought the animal back for necropsy with Dr. Craig Harms, Dr. Greg Lewbart, the DVM residents above, NC Aquarium Stranding Personnel Jill Sullivan and Dr. Thayer, and an NC State CVM Invertebrate Selective course student.