Sperm whale at Gulfview Heights last night

[Smiling JOe]

Who are we people sitting at home to say if the Whale was suffering, or if the officer was acting with respect to the unwritten laws of the world, rather than something that an attorney/politician whipped up? We humans are really quick to judge sometimes. I am not saying that the officer was doing the "right" thing, but I am saying that we may never know, and even if we did, the "right" thing is subjective anyway.

 

[Paula]

I agree with some who are posting that the officer who shot the whale may feel terrible about this and may have thought it was the right thing to do at the time (sad as it is, do we know for sure that it wasn't). It sounds like the issue could be related to training of officers and others who are responsible for SoWal. Assuming the person really thought it was the right thing to do (few people would take pleasure in shooting a whale, and I'm assuming the person involved didn't), it would be too bad to scapegoat the people involved when it could be a problem in the system (and it's a problem that could be fixed with some training).

There's an old cowboy movie called "The Hanging Tree" and it starts off with a scene in which a group is encouraging the sheriff to hang a guy (I forgot what the guy did). The sheriff says sadly, "Every town needs to have a hanging tree -- It makes folks feel respectable." I forgot about what the movie was about, but I never forgot that line!

 

[Hop]

A little info on our friend...
[FONT=times,verdana,arial]The Pygmy Sperm Whale[/FONT]

[FONT=times,verdana,arial](Kogia breviceps)[/FONT]



[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Length: 2.7 - 3.4m (8 - 11ft) wt. 318 - 408 kg[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale is often confused with the Dwarf Sperm whale with the two only distinguished apart at close range. It tends to live far from shore in deep waters and has inconspicuous habits. This whale tends not to approach boats and is most likely seen when resting. It will float motionless at the surface, with the upperside of its head and back above water and its tail hanging down limp in the water. When startled, the Pygmy Sperm whale may eject a redish-brown fluid before diving, leaving behind a dense cloud in the water. While this action is not fully understood it is believed that it may be a decoy like the ink of a squid.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale is dark blue-grey on the back, outer margin of the flippers and upper side of tail flukes, shading to pale grey on the flanks and dull white on the belly. Sometimes the belly has a pinkish tinge. The body is rather sharklike with a conical head which becomes more rectangular or squarish with age. A pale grey or white crescent shaped mark resembling the gill slits of a fish can be seen on the side of the head behind the eyes.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana,arial,times]From the Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whale) the Pygmy Sperm whale has no functional teeth in the upper jaw but has 10-16 pairs of narrow inward-curved pointed teeth in the lower jaw. It has a tiny, underslung lower jaw.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale has one blowhole which gives a low and inconspicuous blow. The whale has a tiny, strongly sickle-shaped, falcate dorsal fin nearly two-thirds along its back and a tail with a concave trailing edge with a distinct notch between the tail flukes. Its flippers are broad but short and are located far forward on its body.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Superfamily: Physeteroidea[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Family: Kogiidae[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Other names: Lesser Cachalot, Lesser Sperm whale, Short-headed Sperm whale.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Food: Squid, octopus, fish (deep-water), Decapod crustaceans.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale is cosmopolitan in deep waters of most, if not all, temperate subtropical and tropical seas but it has not yet been recorded in the South Atlantic Ocean. Although poorly known through the lack of records of live animals it is known mainly from strandings. Records of beached Pygmy Sperm whales indicate that they are more common along the east coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Texas. Other areas include Peru, England, Holland, France, tip of South Africa, East Africa, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Australia, Tasman Sea, New Zealand, and the west coast of North America fro Washington to Baja California.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The world population size is unknown but apparently it is not common. It is not know if the populations are isolated.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Bibliography[/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,times]Whales on the Net[/FONT]

 

[ShallowsNole]

While I'm saddened this has happened...why is this any more awful than the sick horse that the administration of the WCSO shot last week? Why is NoWal not up in arms over a dead horse lying in the road in a residential community?

I would venture a guess that this is why the WCSO did not see the train wreck of bad press coming when the beach deputy was given the order to shoot the whale. The only difference between the two situations is the reaction of the population - which someone who does not live and/or work down here might not be able to foresee.

I do know that whale species identification is not part of Florida's criminal justice standards...

 

[Smiling JOe]

[FONT=verdana,arial,times]...[/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,times] When startled, the Pygmy Sperm whale may eject a redish-brown fluid before diving, leaving behind a dense cloud in the water. While this action is not fully understood it is believed that it may be a decoy like the ink of a squid.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]...[/FONT]

So maybe the momma whale was trying to be the decoy so that the baby whale could survive. I have seen plenty of momma birds pretend to be wounded as they scramble away from the babies in the nest, leading the attacker away from the nest. This sounds very similar.

 

[Here4Good]

While I'm saddened this has happened...why is this any more awful than the sick horse that the administration of the WCSO shot last week? Why is NoWal not up in arms over a dead horse lying in the road in a residential community?

I would venture a guess that this is why the WCSO did not see the train wreck of bad press coming when the beach deputy was given the order to shoot the whale. The only difference between the two situations is the reaction of the population - which someone who does not live and/or work down here might not be able to foresee.

I do know that whale species identification is not part of Florida's criminal justice standards...

I appreciate everyone's concerns over "judging" the deputy, but let's remember, he knew enough to call the Marine people, and I am quite sure that "what to do when you find marine mammals on the beach" IS a part of the training. Perhaps not, and perhaps that is the problem.

In both cases, a deputy used his weapon outside of guidelines. In any real county, that alone would be reason for suspension. In many jurisdictions, every time you fire your weapon, you are automatically on paid desk duty until the investigation is completed.

My concern is not just that the deputies might have been out of line, but that we can be fairly sure that the public will never know what the SO does about it.

 

[Mango]

So maybe the momma whale was trying to be the decoy so that the baby whale could survive. I have seen plenty of momma birds pretend to be wounded as they scramble away from the babies in the nest, leading the attacker away from the nest. This sounds very similar.

From what I heard this is what was happening from on-lookers.She tired and came in and out 4 times.

 

[ShallowsNole]

I appreciate everyone's concerns over "judging" the deputy, but let's remember, he knew enough to call the Marine people, and I am quite sure that "what to do when you find marine mammals on the beach" IS a part of the training. Perhaps not, and perhaps that is the problem.

In both cases, a deputy used his weapon outside of guidelines. In any real county, that alone would be reason for suspension. In many jurisdictions, every time you fire your weapon, you are automatically on paid desk duty until the investigation is completed.

My concern is not just that the deputies might have been out of line, but that we can be fairly sure that the public will never know what the SO does about it.

I should make the disclaimer that I do not know which deputies were involved in this decision...but I can just about assure you that the deputy did not, and would not, shoot the whale without prior approval from his/her chain of command. Again, what about the horse? How is this any different?

If it were up to me - which would be dangerous - I would have made the decision that dealing with sick animals is not part of the duty of the WCSO and would have performed crowd control until the veterinarian or marine people or whoever finally came to get the whale got there. But, then, someone would certainly have complained that the whale was allowed to flop around in agony. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

 

[Babyblue]

A little info on our friend...
[FONT=times,verdana,arial]The Pygmy Sperm Whale[/FONT]

[FONT=times,verdana,arial](Kogia breviceps)[/FONT]



[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Length: 2.7 - 3.4m (8 - 11ft) wt. 318 - 408 kg[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale is often confused with the Dwarf Sperm whale with the two only distinguished apart at close range. It tends to live far from shore in deep waters and has inconspicuous habits. This whale tends not to approach boats and is most likely seen when resting. It will float motionless at the surface, with the upperside of its head and back above water and its tail hanging down limp in the water. When startled, the Pygmy Sperm whale may eject a redish-brown fluid before diving, leaving behind a dense cloud in the water. While this action is not fully understood it is believed that it may be a decoy like the ink of a squid.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale is dark blue-grey on the back, outer margin of the flippers and upper side of tail flukes, shading to pale grey on the flanks and dull white on the belly. Sometimes the belly has a pinkish tinge. The body is rather sharklike with a conical head which becomes more rectangular or squarish with age. A pale grey or white crescent shaped mark resembling the gill slits of a fish can be seen on the side of the head behind the eyes.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana,arial,times]From the Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whale) the Pygmy Sperm whale has no functional teeth in the upper jaw but has 10-16 pairs of narrow inward-curved pointed teeth in the lower jaw. It has a tiny, underslung lower jaw.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale has one blowhole which gives a low and inconspicuous blow. The whale has a tiny, strongly sickle-shaped, falcate dorsal fin nearly two-thirds along its back and a tail with a concave trailing edge with a distinct notch between the tail flukes. Its flippers are broad but short and are located far forward on its body.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Superfamily: Physeteroidea[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Family: Kogiidae[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Other names: Lesser Cachalot, Lesser Sperm whale, Short-headed Sperm whale.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Food: Squid, octopus, fish (deep-water), Decapod crustaceans.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The Pygmy Sperm whale is cosmopolitan in deep waters of most, if not all, temperate subtropical and tropical seas but it has not yet been recorded in the South Atlantic Ocean. Although poorly known through the lack of records of live animals it is known mainly from strandings. Records of beached Pygmy Sperm whales indicate that they are more common along the east coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Texas. Other areas include Peru, England, Holland, France, tip of South Africa, East Africa, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Australia, Tasman Sea, New Zealand, and the west coast of North America fro Washington to Baja California.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]The world population size is unknown but apparently it is not common. It is not know if the populations are isolated.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,times]Bibliography[/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,times]Whales on the Net[/FONT]

Looks like the cops should read this before pulling the trigger.

 

[Sally]

NOAA agents continue to study recent whale incident

By Gabriel Tynes

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the results of a necropsy on a whale that was euthanized by a Walton County Sheriff?s deputy Oct. 11 would not be available until after a pathology report and peer review could be completed in the coming weeks.
The report could help determine why the pregnant dwarf sperm whale beached itself near Draper Lake, and if anything could have been done to rehabilitate the animal.
Kim Amendola, a spokesperson for NOAA, said the organization would wait for the results to decide whether to press charges in the case. The dwarf sperm whale is one of many species guarded under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the deputy may not have complied with specified procedure in the MMPA in euthanizing the whale.
Beachgoers noticed the distressed whale in the shallow waters near Gulfview Heights just before sunset. Several people attempted to resuscitate the whale, only to succeed in having it swim out to the first sandbar before returning to the shore.
Officials from the Walton County Sheriff?s Office and the Tourist Development Council were notified of the incident and were dispatched to scene. A press release issued by Lt. Bryan Maule, public information officer at the Sheriff?s Office, the following day said once deputies arrived they confirmed there was an animal on shore that appeared to either have been bitten by sharks or shot while at sea.
According to Maule, dispatchers made several failed attempts to contact various agencies with animal expertise. The National Marine Fisheries Service responded at 6:28 p.m. and informed the deputies they were on their way but it would take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to arrive. Meanwhile, noting the excess blood loss, Maule said the deputies cleared the water and shoreline of all bystanders to prevent a shark attack.
During this time, Maule said, ?the animal was flailing around and appeared to be in pain.?
At 6:52 p.m., a deputy made the decision to fire shots into the whale and euthanize it. The National Marine Fisheries Service arrived around 8:30 p.m. and transported the whale to Panama City.
Keen Polakoff and his wife Kimberly, both Santa Rosa Beach residents who witnessed the incident, said although the whale was acting unusual, he believed it was in no immediate danger of dying. Polakoff said he felt the officers acted in what they felt was the best interest of the animal, but did so out of ?complete ignorance.?
The marine officials who responded to the call initially identified the animal as a pygmy sperm whale, but later revised their evaluation to classify it as a dwarf sperm whale, which has slight differences but is equally reclusive and protected.