Mother Nature (WRATH)

[Dragonwing]

Dead whale found in Gulf of Mexico

June 17, 2010 - On Tuesday, a dead sperm whale was found floating in the Gulf of Mexico 77-miles south of the Deepwater Horizon spill site.

The 25-foot whale carcass was not found in oiled waters and Unified Command officials are not sure yet if the whale died because of the oil spill.

The news release said it is impossible to confirm whether exposure to oil was the cause of death. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is testing to determine from where the carcass may have drifted.

The Unified Command Wildlife Branch and NOAA received "numerous reports" of sperm whale seen swimming in oil-filled waters. But this is the first confirmed report of a dead whale since the spill began two months ago.

NOAA said it remains concerned as sperm whales are endangered. The release noted that sperm whales live at depth in areas where dispersants and oil are present and feed on deepwater squid that could also have been affected by the oil and dispersants.

http://blogs.chron.com/newswatchenergy/archives/2010/06/dead_whale_foun.html