Dead sperm whale in gulf

Washed ashore in advanced stage of decomposition. Lower jaw was kept by the property owner. Greenpeace Italia said the carcass of the young animal -- estimated to be 7 years old -- washed up Friday on the beach at Cefalu, a popular tourist destination in Sicily. Views Read Edit View history. West of Sabine Pass, Galveston, Texas. The Observer. All male.

Not all species are known to make long migration trips though as they may choose to live in and around the Gulf of Mexico throughout the year making short migration trips or inhibiting the same environment regardless of season. NOAA never did determine what killed the whale. Whether marine mammals are being affected by the Gulf oil spill is unclear. Before the disaster, this area of the gulf had one of the largest and healthiest populations of sperm whales in the world according to biologists. If the Gulf of Mexico oil spill kills just three sperm whales , it could seriously endanger the long-term survival of the Gulf's native whale population, scientists say. Because whales are large and very mobile, they are relatively less vulnerable to oil spills than other sea life.

Still, the photos were not widely circulated -- and that, says Greenpeace, is unsettling. If the current oil spill causes more than three Gulf sperm whale deaths this year, it could push that group into the "red zone," Matkin said. Recent hurricane activity has led to concern regarding areas that surround the Gulf of Mexico. They still haven't caught up," he said. Finding dead or affected whales will be difficult, however, because the animals spend most of their time underwater, and their bodies do not often wash ashore.