Necropsy needed to determine cause of right whale deaths: Wildlife pathologist

A marine mammal expert at the Atlantic Veterinary College saidtiming is critical in the exploration of why so many North Atlantic right whales have died in the last couple of weeks.

Wildlife pathologist Pierre-YvesDaoust saidit's important to get one of carcasses of the six right whales to shore for anecropsy.

"The timing is critical because as each day passes these animals they decompose more, and therefore the quality of the necropsy examinationdiminishes," said Daoust.

Six right whales have been reported to have died since June 7. Three of the whales had been satellite tagged.

• Marine biologist discusses investigation into 6 dead right whales

It is estimated there are only about 500 of these endangered whales living.Daoustsaid a die-off this big is unprecedented.

Daoust said the Department of Fisheries and Oceans andscientists are working out the logistics to bring one or more of the carcasses to shore for a necropsy.

Logistical issues

"Many of us on the scientific side and also on the management side of DFO are hoping that this will happen certainly in the nextfew to several days."

Daoustsaid there are many logistical issues to make it happenbut he thinks it can be done. He added three can be located through satellite tags and another one is lodged in fishing gear.

"So it would be possible to bring one, two, perhaps three of them to shore but it depends on the distance they are from shore and where we could bring them to shore."

Daoust said while it is speculation, the most logical explanation for the amount ofwhales dying at one time is they've entered waters experiencing a toxic algae bloom.

But he addedif that happened, other smaller whales, birds and fish would be found dead too, and that hasn't happened and no algae blooms have been seen in the Gulf.

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