A Newborn Piked Whale in Tasmania

Abstract

On June 7, 1957, we examined a small whalebone whale which had been found on the shore at Lewisham in southeastern Tasmania. The animal was much decomposed internally and in the region of the mouth and from its condition we judged it to have been dead at least about a month. Mr. E. C. Clark, who drew our attention to it, said that it had been seen first two weeks before and at that time had the appearance of having been dead for some weeks. We concluded that it had died probably four to six weeks previously and was already dead when it reached the shore at Lewisham. Its very small size—it was only 7 ft. 1 in. (216 cms.) in straight line length—immediately indicated that it was a fetal or newborn specimen. An inch or two of umbilical cord was still visible, although much …