Rehearsals of the sperm whale carcada verses recovered dead on Sylt around two months ago are now in Belgium examined. The scientists want to know more about young, male sperm whales about which little is known so far. In addition, a toxicological profile is to be created. Chemicals and other pollutants are sometimes detectable in the adipose tissue of whales.
Samples of the 10 to 15 ton Pottwal-Kadavers are also examined by the Institute for Terrestrical and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) in the Schleswig-Holstein Büsum. «PCB and pesticides – even if they have been banned for more than 50 years – can still be found in the tissues of the animals. We hope that the concentration will decrease, »said Joseph Schnitzler, research assistant at the ITAW, the German Press Agency. His Belgian colleagues from the University of Liège analyze persistent substances and their concentration. The results of the toxicological examinations should then be compared with other whale finds.
Results in summer
The expert only expects results in summer.
The experts from the institute, which belongs to the veterinary university in Hanover, cannot currently say why the young Walbulle got lost in the relatively flat North Sea. The origin of the animal is still unknown.
The cause of death has now been determined: According to Schnitzler, he suffocated dead on February 17th Sylt Realed sperm whale probably on its own weight. Tidal waters are phenomena that the gigantic animals do not know. If a sperm whale lies on the basis of, it is crushed by its own body weight.
To see the Walkief on Sylt soon
When the 14.3 -meter -long whale tray was discovered in front of Hörnum on Sylt, he had been dead for a long time. Experts from a specialist company disassembled the 10 to 15 tons of carcasses on the beach. The lower jaw is currently prepared and will later be exhibited on the North Sea island.
The pieces of the Dead Meave Seiten, which were trimmed with a chainsaw, were brought to the animal body in special containers with the car train to Jagel (Schleswig-Flensburg district) south of Flensburg.
Previously, the scientists had taken the rehearsals that are now analyzed in Büsum and in Belgium.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 250422-930-456603/1
