Dead whale in Cook Strait - 70+ giant petrels

[Colin Miskelly]

Kia ora
Seabird researcher Tim Poupart has provided the following image taken from the Cook Strait ferry yesterday.
Regards to all
Colin

[Bennyboy87654]

Should organise a pelagic out to see it, cant get better chum then that. lol

[Mig]

Any id on cetacean?

[Colin Miskelly]

The extensive throat pleats and large size suggest blue whale, but there is not much to go on.

Charter boat operator Jonathan Delich reports that there was a white morph southern giant petrel among the flock on Saturday afternoon, when the carcass was close to Wellington Harbour entrance.

Colin

[David Riddell]

Could be the one in this article - https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/new ... lle-island - seen off the western side of D'Urville Island on Tuesday last week, and off Stephens Island the next day.

[Colin Miskelly]

More images of the d'Urville/Stephens Island whale here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11921827

Cheers
Colin

[Colin Miskelly]

A 21 metre long blue whale washed ashore at Flat Point on the eastern Wairarapa coast on 20 Sep, after being seen floating offshore the day before.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/97088801/samples-taken-from-blue-whale-carcass-washed-up-on-wairarapa-coast

Cheers
Colin

[Michael Szabo]

The carcass has been washed up on the Wairarapa coast. If anyone happens to go and see it, it would be interesting to hear if it is attracting any pelagic seabirds to feed on it.

Link to news report: https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/970 ... rapa-coast

[David Riddell]

Yes, could be interesting. I saw a sperm whale washed up along the Kaikoura Coast once that had a Westland black petrel circling above it.