A dead whale measuring 22 meters and weighing 20 tons washed up on Shanghai’s shore recently, sparking questions of what the animal was doing in the area.
Tang Wenqiao, a professor of ichthyology at Shanghai Ocean University, said it is rare to see such a large whale in Shanghai. “Baleen whales eat sardines and usually live in big oceans like the Pacific,” he said.
After examination, it was found that the whale had already been dead for ten days. Still, the animal’s body was well-preserved, save for his left pectoral fin, which had been cut off.
The whale was discovered by fisherman Lu Haibing on March 19. Lu said that the fin was already missing by that point. “You can see the marks were made by a saw. The fin can be sold at a high price.”
Tang identified the species as a fin-whale, a second-class national-level protected animal.
This is not the first time a whale has shown up in Shanghai. In 2002, a small whale was found stranded near Dishui Lake, and in 1970, a whale was found near Luchao Port.
Farther south in Guangzhou, a pregnant sperm whale was rescued from a net just last week. Although alive at time of rescue, it later died from its injuries.
Marine biology experts are looking into the cause of death of the Shanghai whale.
[Images via China Daily, Shanghai Daily]
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