Following continued news of disturbing sea life occurrences off the West Coast, scientists in Mexico’s Scammon’s Lagoon, also known as Laguna Ojo de Liebre, have discovered what appears to be the first ever documented case of conjoined gray whale calves.
by Mikael Thalen - January 7, 2014
Following continued news of disturbing sea life occurrences off the West Coast, scientists in Northern Mexico’s Laguna Ojo de Liebre, formerly known as Scammon’s Lagoon, have discovered what appears to be the first ever documented case of conjoined gray whale calves.
Courtesy of Jesus Gomez: Conjoined Grey Whale Calves
Discovered last Sunday, the calves, which did not survive, measured in at just under seven feet long, much smaller than the average newborn length of 12 to 16 feet.
“Unfortunately the specimen died, his survival was difficult,” a translated comment from the Guerrero Negro Verde Facebook page reads.
Shockingly underdeveloped, American Cetacean Society researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger believes the calves were the result of a miscarriage. Later collecting the carcass for further analysis, scientists made no comments regarding a possible cause.
While conjoined twins have been found in several other whale species, a search of the database at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County by local scientists produced no records of conjoined gray whales.
Conjoined Grey Whale Calves from behind
Although no information has yet been released, concerns over the ongoing Fukushima disaster has many asking questions, especially in light of rare animal deaths spreading along the West Coast.
Incidences such as the ongoing “melting sea star” epidemic, which has been seen off the coast of California, Oregon, Washington and Canada, have yet to be explained as sea stars are found literally disintegrating.
Even with Japanese scientists finding “high” Cesium levels in plankton throughout the Pacific as far back as May 2013, governments continue to call the amounts safe.
A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the number of dead sea creatures covering the floor of the Pacific is higher than it has ever been since monitoring began 24 years ago. Despite attempts by some to “debunk” the study and blame the occurrence on “global warming,” a closer look at the study clearly points to Fukushima as the most likely factor.
Following the Department of Health and Human Services’ purchase of 14 million doses of potassium iodide last week, many believe the federal government has begun preparing, as the situation in Japan worsens.
Admittedly high radiation levels recently found on a California beach have also brought national attention to the subject, with major news outlets such as the Drudge report linking to reports of the incident.
While the verdict is still out on the once in a lifetime whale discovery, the continued growth of rare occurrences has only peaked the public’s interest.
BALLENA CON DOS CABEZAS BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
