"The lifeless body of another baleen whale was found floating beside a passenger ship moored on Manila Bay’s Pier 13 two days before the end of the year, according to WWF-Philippines.
Measuring 9.8 metres and weighing almost three tonnes, the whale, thought to be either a Minke (Balaenoptera acutorostata) or a Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) was brought to and buried in a local fish cemetery.
n August 2007 another baleen whale carcass was found floating at the mouth of Manila Bay. Bloated and badly decomposed, it was towed ashore to an isolated cove. After photographs and all possible records were obtained, it was buried properly by a team from the Hamilo Coast with the assistance of WWF.
Due to the condition of the animal’s body, and local concerns about possible health impacts of a large decomposing carcass on the coastline, it was difficult to conduct a proper necropsy at the time and as such the cause of death for the 2007 animal was not determined.
Baleen whales may be harmed in a number of ways: entanglement in fishing gear, heavy boat traffic leading to ship strikes, pollution, and competition with humans for food resources. They could also die from disease."
ORIGINAL SOURCE: Environmental News Network
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