Humpback, Minke, Fin, Gray Whales Turning Up Dead In Mexico - NYT

[hatrack]

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 18 — Mexican authorities are investigating the mysterious deaths of eight whales found washed ashore along the Sea of Cortez last month, an unusually large number that suggests someone or something is killing them off.

The whales come from several plankton-eating species and apparently died at sea in November and December, biologists said. But they do not show any signs of having been caught in long-line fishing nets, which sometimes suffocate the mammoth animals. Nor have biologists found any signs of a toxic spill or outbreak of disease that would account for their deaths.

"Right now it's a mystery," said Luis Fueyo, an assistant federal prosecutor for environmental crimes, who is overseeing the investigation. "We have a puzzle."

The first sign something was wrong came on Jan. 4, when the remains of two humpback whales were spotted on the shore near the town of El Dorado in Culiacan State. Scientists determined they had died in early November. Since then, six more giant bodies have turned up, among them a third humpback, a minke whale, a fin whale and a baby gray whale. Three bodies were discovered on Jan. 18 during an aerial search of the Sinaloa coast.

EDIT

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/international/americas/19mexico.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Deja Q]

1. Anyone check for the quantity of plankton and other edibles?

Did the whales look malnourished?

:shrug:

[xiamiam]

4. lots of plastic plankton out there...nt

[phantom power]

5. Yeah. Bad, bad things are happening at the bottom of the food chain.

[seemslikeadream]

2. Wind on the water

Over the years you have been hunted
by the men who threw harpoons
And in the long run he will kill you
just to feed the pets we raise,
put the flowers in your vase
and make the lipstick for your face.
Over the years you swam the ocean
Following feelings of your own
Now you are washed up on the shoreline
I can see your body lie
It's a shame you have to die
to put the shadow on our eye
Maybe we'll go
Maybe we'll disappear
It's not that we don't know
It's just that we don't want to care.
Under the bridges
Over the foam
Wind on the water
Carry me home.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

[wakeme2008]

3. Was the Navy running "Sonar Tests"

in the Sea of Cortez :grr:

[bananas]

6. An interesting article on Baja

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/17/MNGG0GOFQ11.DTL

slideshow with audio
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2006/01/17/MNGG0GOFQ11.DTL&o=0

A WARMING WORLD: THE DIFFERENCE A DEGREE MAKES
SURVIVAL OF A REEF
Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer
Tuesday, January 17, 2006