CSI:Atlantic Beach

Last Thursday I attended my first necropsy.  A necropsy is just an autopsy done on a non human.

A finback whale had washed up dead on Atlantic Beach over on Long Beach.  He was about 43ish feet long, lets call him 25 tons.  According to the lead biologist he suffered a large blunt force trauma.  In normal people speak he was probably hit by a boat.  Because he was so huge we had to go to him and do everything on the beach. 

The one picture I did have time to take on my phone is a tad nasty so I found this one from the daily news.  Now please remember its a federal law that you must stand at least 150 feet from this animal dead or alive if its on the beach to begin with.  In addition dead things tend to carry disease, especially ones that have been dead for a few days.  Its just the natural cycle of life.  So with no further ado please find a picture of the whale and a moron.

My job during the necropsy was "scribe".  I followed the lead biologist around and wrote down everything she said.  Whether or not I could spell it was not important as long as she could figure it out later.  This was good news, my Latin marine mammal speak is very rusty.  Or non existent.  Whichever.

Kim moves very fast for a woman in rubber overalls in 90 degree weather on the beach running in whale guts.  Its not easy to keep up with her when you're not used to running around in rubber pants in 90 degree weather on the beach in whale guts.  Also 25 tons of whale that's been dead for 5 days smells really bad.  It wasn't so much the dead whale it was the the fact that his digestive tract was wide open and blowin in the breeze.  So imagine the worst baby diaper you've ever changed.  Then magnify that by 25 tons.  Then stand downwind of that.  In rubber pants.  In 90 degree heat.  In squishy whale guts.

I have to say the whole thing was really fascinating. A lot of it was large versions of our insides.  His colon was the size of my thigh.  Oh and I know it was a him because his left testicle was almost as big as my dog.  You get a new respect for your own inner workings when you see them trying to cut through to break down a whale into easily movable parts.  His ligaments where massive and amazingly strong.  His spine was awesome.  It was really very humbling to be a part of the whole experience. Also  there's a good chance I lost about 10 lbs just sweating in those damn pants.  I had to toss them and my boots away.  The dead whale smell refuses to leave. 

I had joked when we first started that they asked me to go in case an IRS audit broke out in the middle of the necropsy but Julika told me I did a good job.  She doesn't dole out praise often so I can live off that one for a long while.

Small Humans

I had a busy 7ish days dealing with children and marine animals.   First was Oliver's release.  Oliver was a harp seal who was released at the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays.  We got there early to set up the barriers for his adoring fans and to answer questions.  Seals are notoriously late to their releases, they tend to put up new and interesting struggles when it comes to getting tagged and settled into the release pens so we usually have time to get all the spectators up to speed on who is getting released and how they came to be in our care.

Oliver is a harp seal who was an "out of habitat" call.  Long story short someone in the Hampton Bays area called up and said "excuse me but there's a seal in my driveway can you help me".  We all know seals prefer decks and patios!

There were a few kids at the release and the biologists can never pass up the opportunity to get the kids involved in the process.  But this was my first time handling the guide boards and Julika is telling the tiny moving seal snacks to "stay right behind Barbara where its safe".  Really?  I'm the safe spot.  The noob with a giant piece of plexiglass?.  Is this a good plan?

This past Friday I did some time in the rescue center at the aquarium.  I figured its the end of the school year it would be quiet-ish.  What an idiot.

One of the school districts sent all its elementary schools.  Two hours of non stop 6, 7 and 8 year old boys and girls.  They were everywhere, touching everything and asking questions all at the same time.  I have no idea where to start when one little voice yells out "HEY LADY".  Hey Lady?  Seriously?  You I need to find.  Little man wanted to know about the turtle shell.

Its a decent sized shell, bout 2 feet long.  He touched it asked a few questions then decided the turtle must have been old.  I told him actually it wasn't that old and that green turtles get to be much larger.  I could see by the look on his face he had doubts as to my knowledge/sanity so I gave him a good look up and down and said.  " I think you'd just about fit the shell, want to try it on" and I lined it up on his back to a perfect fit.  Then I walked said doubting shelled Thomas over to the wall with the big 5 foot shell and told him that was what a full grown green sea turtle shell would look like.  Now of course I was cool and a genius. 

The teacher saw Thomas in the shell and had to take a picture because he was cute.  And then all the other kids wanted to take pictures wearing the shell.  So I spent my afternoon answering questions about Marine Animal rescue, rehab and release while holding a 2 foot preserved turtle shell on the back of  first and second graders for pictures.  I'm 2 steps from wearing a shark costume.  Good thing I went to college.