Dead Humpback Whale Calf in Humboldt County

Dead whale calf

A humpback whale calf, mouth agape, lies dead on beach about a half mile north of the Mattole River mouth. [All photos provided by Russ Namitz, BLM biologist.]

Yesterday, BLM biologist, Russ Namitz, found a deceased humpback whale calf, about a half mile north of the mouth of the Mattole River.

Namitz said the calf, which is about five meters long, is “relatively fresh, just starting to decompose.” He added that there are no “obvious signs of depredation.”

For those who can’t make the treck to see this unique creature up close, Namitz sent along the following photos.

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cu2morrow
Guest
cu2morrow
3 years ago

now the onlookers will flood the beach just to have something to do.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  cu2morrow

So sad… the effects of over population and climate change! There is a mass the size of Texas of trash floating in the ocean.. only once It’s too late people will want real change to happen. The planet is fighting against us as we slowly but surely destroy it!

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

It’s an area the size of Texas. The mass is quite small by comparison. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Gyre.

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

🕯🌳I’ll second that. 👍🏽🖖🌍

onlooker
Guest
onlooker
3 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

The mass is the gyre. The gyre is amassed rather than a single item. So actually, there is a mass whose area is approximately the size of Texas.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
3 years ago
Reply to  onlooker

If you want to be literal about it, the Gyre is an ocean current and is the mass of the ocean. The garbage patch is a collection of tiny masses caught in the current that creates the gyre. The relative density of those masses within the gyre is small. Estimated at 7# per square mile.

https://www.livescience.com/62096-great-pacific-garbage-patch-growing.html

I’m no marine biologist, but...
Guest
I’m no marine biologist, but...
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

…It seems to me that sometimes whales die.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

You should educate yourself on the reasons that Whales die. There’s lots of scientific fact information out there. Most of it is caused by humans one way or another fishing nets, climate change ,boat propellers List goes on an on

Just Sayin
Guest
Just Sayin
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Yeah, you forgot natural causes being the biggest part. Maybe educate yourself outside of your ignorance bubble. Things live, and they die. Part of life is death. Only humans are so ignorant as to believe they are the cause of everything!

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Hmmmmm… what about the one a few months ago that was tangled in a net.. is that natural causes??

james
Guest
james
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Sometimes they just die . Thats all he said so why attack ,we are aware of the problems.

Connie Dobbs
Guest
Connie Dobbs
3 years ago

Was it a Titleist?

Mr. Bear
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

There is no “mass the size of Texas of trash floating in the ocean”

Yes it’s horrible the amount of trash there is but lets not go with fake news

🤦
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Bear

Actually there is. Plenty of video footage of it out there. Pull your head out of the ground please

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Bear

🕯🌳Yes there is, in fact I think it’s larger. 🌍🌍

punkybrewstersmind
Guest
punkybrewstersmind
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Bear

Please just look it up. Plenty of photos. Or do you truly believe we arent poisoning our only home with endless garbage?

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Bear

You must be a Trumper whoop whoop! Go educate yourself please

Smoky Bare
Guest
Smoky Bare
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Lol. The climate always changes. We’re probably between mini ice ages anyway. Nature of things. The sky is not falling. Everyone who never uses plastic -a terrible invention – raise your hand. Those who refuse to drive, sound off. Just me. I love the wild and support reasoned environmentalism. Greta is not following SCIENCE, just her emotions. A white shark would not care how you feel. Dead whales are part of life, just like insane lefties. I’d rather sniff the whale.

Guests
Guest
Guests
3 years ago
Reply to  Smoky Bare

Wow OK you’re one of those who are living in denial

Linda Harake
Guest
Linda Harake
3 years ago
Reply to  Smoky Bare

My roommate from St. Thomas tells me that humbacks are delicious so the birds and land creatures are in for a feast.

cu2morrow
Guest
cu2morrow
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

are you doing your part ?

Jeff
Guest
Jeff
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Are you sure the earth won’t get us first. It seems you think we will win. I am sure the earth will be here way after humans are extinct.

Jon
Guest
Jon
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

New equipment is already cleaning up the trash island. New innovations every day because those problems exist. Go out and find solutions before you complain.

Billy Sky
Guest
Billy Sky
3 years ago
Reply to  cu2morrow

I saw it (not intentionally) People burnt it. So disrespectful.

Billy Sky
Guest
Billy Sky
3 years ago
Reply to  Billy Sky

I saw this (unintentionally) Someone burnt it. So disrespectful.

Prof. Quiz
Guest
Prof. Quiz
3 years ago

Black Lives Matter has a biologist?

😉

Hen of the Woods
Guest
Hen of the Woods
3 years ago
Reply to  Prof. Quiz

That stands for the Bureau of Livestock and Mining

Bandcamp
Guest
3 years ago

That stands for the Bureau of land management

🌲
Guest
🌲
3 years ago

Bureau of Land Management

Lita
Guest
Lita
3 years ago
Reply to  Prof. Quiz

Bfd

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Prof. Quiz

Apparently the humor passed people by.

Mountain Man
Guest
Mountain Man
3 years ago

Wonderful reply , you forgot to blame Trump.

Lets eat it!
Guest
Lets eat it!
3 years ago
Reply to  Mountain Man

Dang silly point and jerky rejoinders! Everything alive today will die by one way or another. Not every death in the ocean in anthropogenic. This is just a giant vessel for a soul, no more important than a jellyfish or surf perch just because its big.
Then…Just because someone makes an overly sentimental statement the jerky boys koolaid krew pile on.
I’ll still take sentimental over swasti

Janice atencio
Guest
Janice atencio
3 years ago
Reply to  Lets eat it!

Everything dies, what makes you think it was the pollution in the water? Yes, it’s true it is a shame that trash is not disposed of properly. I’m wondering since there are finger pointers out there.. Would you attribute your death to pollution, or question why
and blame someone else?

Dene Shaver
Guest
Dene Shaver
3 years ago
Reply to  Janice atencio

Good question. See what kind of dumb answers you get

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Janice atencio

OK I can tell you don’t believe in climate change or in the pollution. people are Destroying the planet except it

Stephanie
Guest
Stephanie
3 years ago
Reply to  Janice atencio

It’s likely this calf ingested trash. Whales are like humans and elephants. They give birth to usually just one baby, and they provide strong parental care. They have a very high survival rate because of this. Turtles, on the other hand, lay many eggs and do not care for their offspring. This tactic works for them, because at least a few survive even if dozens die. Baby whales do not normally die of “natural” causes, so it’s likely this calf was injured because of humans. Studies are showing that most all oceanic species ingest plastic and fishing materials, like netting.

R-dog
Guest
3 years ago

Looks like good fertilizer to bad it’s way out of reach

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
3 years ago

I hear dynamite works… err, well it makes for good video:

“On November 12, 1970, the Oregon Department of Transportation blew up a dead whale that had washed up on a Florence beach. In what was called a “controlled explosion,” they used a half-ton of dynamite. It didn’t go well. Chunks of dead whale blubber ended up all over both bystanders and the beach, flying out as far as a nearby parking lot where the flying flesh severely damaged at least one car. The decision to publicly dynamite an enormous mammal has become one of Oregon’s all-time most bizarre moments.”

Video here:
https://www.wweek.com/culture/2016/09/06/there-is-now-better-footage-of-that-time-oregon-blew-up-a-whale-with-dynamite/

thetallone
Guest
thetallone
3 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

Would make for an interesting call to your insurance agent; “yeah, my car was damaged by flying pieces of a dead whale”.

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago

🕯🌳There you go.👁🌍👁🌍

Brian
Guest
Brian
3 years ago

Looks like a job for Peter Griffin or the Reno 911 deputies.

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

Thank you🙏 I wasn’t even going to take the time to Google it so I can prove someone wrong.

Kay Y
Guest
Kay Y
3 years ago

Whale whale whale…what do we have here.

Rambling Radish
Guest
Rambling Radish
3 years ago

Sadly, there are five major gyres in the world’s oceans: The North and South Pacific Subtropical Gyres, the North and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyres, and the Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre.

suckas
Guest
suckas
3 years ago

The covid got to it!

RICHARDHEAD
Guest
RICHARDHEAD
3 years ago

Must be Trump’s fault because we all know crazy libs don’t use plastic or produce garbage or live in homes made of wood. Their shit smells like kale. Go sleepy Joe!

Whale lover
Guest
Whale lover
3 years ago

All I really think of when I see this baby, is that there’s a very sad Mama humpback out there somewhere.

Kelly
Guest
Kelly
3 years ago

That’s heartbreaking. .no way I would want to go see it. Too sad

Peter C Acker
Guest
3 years ago

Climate change IS a natural cycle. No one argues with that. The issue is the exaggerated effect of human activity and carbon emmisions.