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A Whale of a Tale
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
By Jonathan Goodwin, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology)
Garden State Veterinary Specialists
The pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) is among the smallest of the whales. Adults typically weigh around 900 lbs, making the pygmy sperm whales slightly larger than dolphins. Since these whales are rarely seen at sea, most of what is known about them is based on whales that have washed ashore. In the examinations that have been completed on the pygmy sperm whales so far, many of the whales are believed to have died from heart disease. Based on this finding, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) in Brigantine, NJ has enlisted the help of Garden State Veterinary Specialists to try to help the pygmy sperm whales. Now when a pygmy sperm whale has beached, Garden State Veterinary Specialists sends a team led by their cardiologist, Dr. Jonathan C. Goodwin, down to Brigantine, NJ to investigate. When they arrive, Dr. Goodwin performs cardiac ultrasounds to assess the whales for evidence of cardiac disease. All of the data is collected and stored to assess differences in heart wall and chamber sizes between the different whales analyzed. This task is challenging because there are no published reference values for normal cardiac measurements in these whales, so all information is being collected and shared with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. Together, these organizations are attempting to characterize the cardiac disease present in the whales that beach, so they can identify the inciting causes of the heart disease.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) is a private non-profit organization based in Brigantine, New Jersey. Since the Center’s founding in 1978, staff and volunteers have responded to over 3570 calls for stranded whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles that washed ashore on New Jersey beaches. These animals range from a 5 lb. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle to a 25-ton Humpback Whale (both of which are endangered species). Whenever possible, the animals are brought back to the MMSC for rehabilitation and eventual release. Rehabilitation can last up to several months and cost thousands of dollars for a single animal.
When the MMSC started in 1978, there were 19 reported strandings in the State of New Jersey. In 2005, their team responded to 224 stranded animals. As the years pass, there has been a steady increase in sightings and strandings of marine mammal and sea turtles that are reported. In recent years MMSC has seen an increase in species of seals and sea turtles that are far out of their range stranded in New Jersey. Species such as harp, hooded and ringed seals, and green sea turtles add to their already growing numbers.
Your donations and membership dollars enable MMSC to continue to expand their facility and care for the increasing number of animals. Without your help, they cannot help these creatures when they are most in need.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the professional advice of your veterinarian.
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