SINGAPORE - The carcass of a sperm whale was found floating near Jurong Island on Friday morning.
The 10m-long carcass was picked up by five staff from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum for analysis.
They are working with the authorities to secure the animal so valuable information can be gleaned from it.
The cause of death is not clear, although The Straits Times saw blood pouring from its fin when the newspaper visited the site where the animal was located.
A pungent smell of dead fish wafted through the air near the site of the carcass.
If the carcass is confirmed to be that of a sperm whale, it would be the first sighting of this species of whale in Singapore.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum head Peter Ng said it was an exciting find.
Mature sperm whales can grow up to 20m in length. They are the largest toothed whales and can be found in all of the world's oceans. Still, it is considered rare in this region.
JUST IN: Sperm whale carcass found in Jurong Island. str.sg/bKuThe 10m-long carcass was picked up by five staff from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum for analysis. The cause of death was not immediately clear.VIDEO: LIM YAOHUI
Posted by The Straits Times on Friday, 10 July 2015
Carcass of sperm whale found near Jurong Island
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 10 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE — The carcass of a sperm whale was discovered this morning (July 10) floating near Jurong Island — the first time the species has been sighted in Singapore.
The animal would have been beautiful alive, Prof Ng remarked as the carcass arrived at Tuas Marine Transfer Station. The natural history museum engaged a lorry crane to pull it onto land — an exercise that lasted more than two hours — and staff and interns began collecting samples soon after.
“Anything that’s found floating in Singapore waters, the agencies will have to take care of it,” said Prof Ng. “In the water, the MPA has to worry about it because we don’t want boats crashing into it.
“The National Environment Agency has to be informed because, well, it’s a dead whale. So automatically we sought their help to find out where the whale is and what can be done.”
The carcass would either have floated out of Singapore waters or been removed from the water and incinerated. “But we didn’t want that to happen,” said Prof Ng.
When his team found that the rare find was over 10m long and freshly dead, “it’s even more important that we secure the whale for science and for Singapore”, he added.
Ideally, its skeleton would be put on display at the natural history museum “for generations to come” but, last night, Prof Ng said he was only focused on securing the carcass so tissue samples could be taken and its important parts such as muscles are preserved. Over the next few days, the animal will be fussed over by scientists.
It is difficult to tell how long the process of removing its flesh and getting the skeleton out will take “because we’ve never done this before ... we’ll do our best”, Prof Ng said.
Dead sperm whale found near Jurong Island
The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum says this is the first time a sperm whale sighting has been recorded in Singapore.
Jack Board Channel NewsAsia 10 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE: The bloodied carcass of a sperm whale was found off the coast of Jurong Island on Friday morning (Jul 10).
This is the first time that a sperm whale sighting has been recorded in Singapore, the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum said on Facebook. Nine of its staff were deployed to salvage the specimen. "It was identified by our curators to be a sperm whale, which is internationally threatened with extinction," the museum added.
According to the museum, the whale is between 10 and 15 metres in length. Sperm whales can grow up to 20 metres.
A National University of Singapore team said they plan to take DNA samples on Friday night and remove the flesh of the whale on Saturday. The aim is to remove the entire skeleton of the whale intact and researchers hope to study what's inside its stomach. The flesh will be incinerated.
(Photo: Jack Board)
“Currently, the team is trying to secure the whale carcass. The next step will be to try to recover the skeleton and key parts of the carcass for research purposes,” a spokesperson added.
(Photo: Jack Board)
The process of extracting tissue, removing flesh from the carcass and getting out the skeleton could take up to several weeks, said Professor Peter Ng, Director of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
(Photo: Jack Board)
"We have never done it before. The biggest animal we’ve handled is maybe a large dolphin. That’s nothing compared to this," he said.
A member of the public, whom they identified as Mr Jailani, had tipped them off. Another member of the public, Christine, emailed Channel NewsAsia a photo of the whale (below), saying it was seen floating in waters near an offshore tank terminal.
(Photo: Christine)
(Photo: Jack Board)
The last time Singapore retrieved a large animal carcass from the sea was more than 20 years ago, according to Professor Ng. A large dolphin, known as a false killer whale, had washed up in Singapore waters at that time.
Professor Ng also revealed that a dead whale was found off Pedra Branca about six to seven years ago, but it could not be retrieved as it was "very rotten" and was floating in the open sea.
"The last time something this big washed into our waters was, I think, maybe even before independence," he said.
It is uncommon for whales to inhabit Southeast Asian waters as they are too shallow, said Prof Ng.
"For medium-sized to large whales, we speculate that they are just passing through - maybe taking a shortcut," he explained. "They will inhabit deeper waters in the Java Sea, Indian Ocean and South China Sea."
He added that the whale may have bumped into a large boat while passing the area.
The whale was finally brought to shore at 9.15pm on Friday evening, after an operation involving various government bodies, including the Maritime Port Authority and the National Environment Agency, who pitched in to help staff from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum salvage the carcass.
(Photo: Jack Board)
This is the second time Singapore has had a whale carcass in its custody.
In 1892, a blue whale about 13m long had beached in southern Malacca. Its skeleton was displayed at Singapore's old National Museum. It is, however, no longer there. The skeleton was given to Malaysia's Muzium Negara in 1972.
The National Museum plans put the sperm whale's skeleton on display once research has been completed.
JUST IN: A dead sperm whale has been brought ashore at Tuas. Experts told Jack Board this type of whale is more commonly sighted in Indonesia, but never before in Singapore. http://bit.ly/1JTUEiP
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Friday, 10 July 2015
WHALE OF A FIND: How a team from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum recovered the carcass of a sperm whale found off Jurong Island. http://bit.ly/1JTUEiP (Video: Jack Board)
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Friday, 10 July 2015
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment & Water Resources also posted about the whale on facebook:
"An unofficial 'national' effort - The Lee Kong Chiang Natural History Museum, MPA, NEA and other supporters are now trying to bring the carcass of the sperm whale that was found at Jurong Island to Tuas. I hope we will be able to at least preserve the skeleton for display. Brings back memories of the whale that used to be at the National Museum that I visited as a child."
Dead whale could take 'several weeks' to dissect: Museum
Built-up gas within it's decomposed stomach poses the main risk to scientists from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
Edric Sng Channel NewsAsia 11 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE: It could take "up to several weeks" before the rotting carcass of the sperm whale that washed up on Singapore's shores is fully dissected and brought indoors for further examination, staff from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) said.
The main risk: The high likelihood of the whale's decomposing innards exploding, said Mr Foo Maosheng, curator of the cryogenic collection at the LKCNHM.
When Channel NewsAsia visited the location of the carcass at Tuas South on Saturday morning (Jul 11), staff from the museum were seen inserting a straw-like metal rod into various parts of the underside of the whale's belly. This was meant to allow the built-up gas in the belly to be released slowly and safely, Mr Foo said.
"We are now working to extract the part that decomposes fastest: The gut," he said. "First we are releasing air from the gut - it's well known that the gut of a dead whale can explode."
Apart from preserving the skeleton for possible display, Mr Foo said they also plan to extract some tissue for DNA tests as well as study the contents of the whale's stomach, which could give some clues on the whale's final days and the route it took to Singapore.
The bloodied carcass of the sperm whale was spotted off the coast of Jurong Island on Friday morning. The whale was finally brought to shore at 9.15pm on Friday evening, after an operation involving various government bodies, including the Maritime Port Authority and the National Environment Agency, who pitched in to help staff from the LKCNHM salvage the carcass.
The age and gender of the whale are not yet known.
"We can't tell it's age for sure but it's young," said Mr Foo. "Males can grow up to 18m. This is 10.6m. We can't tell if it's male or female - the genitals are hidden away."
- CNA/av
Dead sperm whale found off Jurong Island
Audrey Tan and Chew Hui Min Straits Times 11 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE - A sperm whale’s 10m-long carcass was found floating off Jurong Island on Friday morning.
The species had never previously been found in the waters around Singapore or peninsular Malaysia.
Oil industry worker Mr Jailani Salleh told The Straits Times that he spotted the dead mammal under a jetty at around 7.45am and posted a video of it on Facebook.
Mr Marcus Chua, curator of mammals and birds at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, was informed and told The Straits Times it was an “exciting find”. It is to be studied by scientists.
The museum will now work to preserve the specimen, believed to be a young adult. A museum volunteer then informed Mr Chua about the incident at about 9.30am.
At about 2pm, after arrangements were made with the authorities to enter restricted areas and to secure equipment and boats, Mr Chua and eight of his colleagues were deployed to secure the carcass. The cause of death has not yet been determined.
When The Straits Times visited the scene, blood was pouring from its fin. However, Mr Chua said the injury could have been sustained after it died. It was too early to conclude that the wound was the cause of its death, as it could have been afflicted posthumously.
The whale appeared to have been dead for several days because of the rot on its body and tongue. With the help and assistance of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the whale was towed across the West Johor Strait on a three-hour journey to the Tuas Marine Transfer Station for further examination.
Searchlight deployed to help authorities get whale carcass on shore
It will be left there at the restricted location for around a week while researchers prepare the skeleton and collect data.
This work will include taking samples of its muscle tissue, which contains precious genetic information, and studying the contents of its stomach.
The museum’s scientific officer, Mr Foo Maosheng - one of the team members - said: “By studying its stomach contents, we can possibly tell where it has been feeding and at what depths.”
The whale is estimated to weigh between seven and 10 tonnes. Museum conservator Kate Pocklington said the next step is to remove the skin, internal organs and fat from the whale, which is estimated to weigh three to five tonnes.
Since its bones are porous, researchers must figure out the best way to remove the oil from them while preserving the skeleton, which is important as it will tell researchers more about its length and anatomy.
Ms Isabelle Tan, 23, a dolphin researcher and campaigns executive from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, said: "It is encouraging to know that this species of whale was found in our waters, especially as people often think Singapore has no marine life.
“The sightings are a good reminder that they are there and there is a need to protect the marine environment.
"We urge members of the public to continue reporting dolphin and whale sighting to Acres."
5 things to know about sperm whales
Chang Ai-Lien Straits Times 10 Jul 15;
A 10m sperm whale was found dead off Jurong Island on Friday, possibly the first time the giant mammal has been seen in Singapore waters. Here are some sperm whale facts.
1. BIGGER THAN A BUS
The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and can grow to 18m, weighing in at over 40 tonnes. It is part of the cetacean species, which includes all species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are found in all the world's oceans.
2. AND BRAINY TOO
They have the largest brain out of any animal known to have lived on earth, and block-shaped heads which can measure up to a third of their length.
3. THEY ARE VORACIOUS EATERS.
These endangered whales eat close to one tonne of fish and squid each day, plunging to depths of 1,000m in search of prey. To do so, they can hold their breath for up to 90 minutes.
4. WHAT'S IN A NAME?
The name sperm whale comes from a mysterious substance in the whale's head called spermaceti, that was originally mistaken for sperm by early whalers. Scientists still do not understand what spermaceti does. One theory is that the fluid, which hardens to wax when cold, helps the whale alter its buoyancy so it can dive deep and rise again.
5. MOBY DICK WAS A SPERM WHALE
The famous white whale of Herman Melville's classic novel was named after a real albino sperm whale, 'Mocha Dick', first spotted by sailors in the 19th Century off southern Chile.
Reseachers start dissecting sperm whale carcass found off Jurong Island
Audrey Tan and Chew Hui Min Straits Times 11 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE - Researchers from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum started dissecting the sperm whale carcass at the Tuas Marine Transfer Station on Saturday morning.
They will try to reach the internal organs and gut by cutting through the outer layers of fat and muscle. Before starting the dissection, the researchers inserted metal tubes into the carcass to release gases that have built up in the abdominal area.
Their work will include taking samples of its muscle tissue, which contains precious genetic information, and studying the contents of its stomach.
The museum’s scientific officer, Mr Foo Maosheng - one of the team members - said: “By studying its stomach contents, we can possibly tell where it has been feeding and at what depths.”
Researchers from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum started dissecting the sperm whale carcass at the Tuas Marine...
Posted by The Straits Times on Friday, 10 July 2015
Dead sperm whale was a female adult: NUS research team
The team from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum has removed almost all of the dead whale's internal organs for further research and to find out the cause of death.
Yeo Kai Ting Channel NewsAsia 14 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE: The dead sperm whale that was pulled ashore last Friday (Jul 10) has been identified as a female adult, according to the team from National University of Singapore's Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
The staff has been at work since Friday night taking DNA samples and removing the flesh of the whale to preserve the skeleton structure and examine the stomach contents.
So far, the team has removed about 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the whale's flesh, and almost all of the internal organs have been removed for further research and to find out what caused its death.
Preliminary observations by the team revealed a huge cut, which may have been the result of a propeller slash. It is still unknown whether the wound was sustained before or after her death.
However, due to the immense size of the whale, which is about 10.6 metres and estimated to weigh about 8 to 10 tonnes, the research exercise will be slow and massive, the team said.
Once the skeleton has been properly processed, it will be displayed in the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in NUS.
- CNA/kk
Dead sperm whale was adult female: Museum
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 15 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE — The sperm whale that washed up near Jurong Island on Friday (July 10) is an adult female believed to have died a few days before it was discovered, said the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum today (July 14).
Museum staff, who have been cutting up the carcass and taking samples for genetic work, are trying to see what is in the whale’s gut and determine what killed it, said the museum in an update on its website.
The whale, which is being processed at Tuas Marine Transfer Station, is 10.6m long and estimated to weigh 8,000 to 10,000kg.
It is the first sperm whale recorded in Singapore, and the third recorded in South-east Asia — sperm whales were earlier recorded near Sarawak in 1995 and Phang Nga in western Thailand in 2012.
“It will be slowly defleshed so its skeleton can be recovered for the museum. Because we are also examining it carefully as a research specimen and due to its immense size, this will be a slow and massive (not to mention very smelly) exercise,” the museum said.
The skeleton, once processed, will be displayed at the museum.
Sperm whales, classified as a vulnerable species, are the largest carnivores on earth and deep-diving squid eaters. Previous records of large whale carcasses in Singapore have been baleen whale species, but scientists have never had a chance to examine them in detail, the museum said.
Museum staff have been racing against time to salvage parts of the sperm whale for research since the carcass was pulled to shore last Friday night. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the museum said taxidermists have peeled blubber off the carcass’ back.
It added that so far, plastic food containers and wrappers had been found in the whale’s gut, which serve as a “grim reminder” to reduce and properly dispose of plastic waste.
Another museum here, the National Museum of Singapore, used to house a baleen whale skeleton up until the 1970s. That whale was 13m long and had been stranded in Malacca in 1892. It was put on display from 1907 and later given to Malaysia’s Muzium Negara. The skeleton is now with the Maritime Museum in Labuan, near Sabah.
Deep cut on dead sperm whale may be caused by propeller
Chitra Kumar, Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE - The bloodied carcass of a sperm whale found floating off Jurong Island on July 10 has been identified as a female adult.
Initial observations showed that the whale suffered a deep cut along its posterior half that may have been caused by a propeller, according to an update from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
When the dead whale was retrieved, the wound was still gushing blood. It is still unknown if the wound was sustained after its death or was the reason for its death.
It is believed that the whale had been dead for several days when it was discovered.
Measuring 10.6 metres and estimated to weigh between eight and 10 tonnes, the mammal is part of the cetacean group, which includes all species of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
It is also the only specimen from that group that scientists from Singapore have managed to get hold of in more than 100 years.
The most recent incidents of sperm whales being stranded near Singapore took place in Sarawak near Kuching in October 1995, and Phang Nga in western Thailand in August 2012.
The whale has been towed away to the Tuas Marine Transfer Station for examination.
Staff from the museum have been removing the internal organs of the whale for further research and to ascertain the cause of its death.
Other works include taking samples of its muscle tissue, which contains precious genetic information, and studying the contents of its stomach.
They are also removing its flesh to preserve the skeleton which will be displayed at the museum at the National University of Singapore.
Whale skeleton to be kept at NUS museum
Janice Heng, The Straits Times AsiaOne 15 Jul 15;
The skeleton of the sperm whale found in Singapore's waters last week will eventually find a home in the National University of Singapore's Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, according to an update on the museum's website yesterday.
"It will now really be THE 'Singapore Whale' and will enthral a new generation of Singaporeans and residents," said the museum.
It was referring to the famous 'Singapore Whale' skeleton from the old Raffles Museum and National Museum. That whale was not actually from Singapore, having been stranded in Malacca in June 1892.
It will be a while before this new skeleton can be properly processed.
Museum staff are now studying the carcass: collecting tissues for future genetic work, trying to see what was in its gut, and trying to determine how it died.
The flesh will slowly be removed.
But the museum added: "Because we are also examining it carefully as a research specimen and due to its immense size, this will be a slow and massive (not to mention very smelly) exercise."
The 10.6m-long adult female whale is the first recorded sperm whale found in the Republic's territorial waters.
It probably died a few days before it was discovered last Friday, said the museum.
It was found with a huge gash on its back half that was still gushing blood, which may have been due to a slash from a ship's propeller.
"Whether this terrible wound was sustained after its death or was the reason for its demise is not yet known," said the museum.
The carcass is currently at the Tuas Marine Transfer Station next to the National Environment Agency's Tuas Incinerator Plant.
This is a secure place which allows easy disposal of waste and tissues, said the museum.
"It would not have been good if the whale was beached and processed in a public area, which would have presented potential health and logistic problems."
According to daily updates on the museum's Facebook page, the whale's ribs, its spine and the back of its skull have already begun to be exposed by the staff.
Whale of a find in Singapore
Lim Yaohui Straits Times 16 Jul 15;
An adult female sperm whale, 10.6m long and weighing between 8 and 10 tonnes, was found in Singapore waters for the first time.
Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales and largest carnivorous animals on earth. Adult males can grow longer than 20m and weigh over 50 tonnes. The species is regarded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable to extinction.
The mammal was found floating off Jurong Island last Friday. Mr Jailani Salleh, a worker in the oil industry, posted a video of his sighting on Facebook group Nostalgic Singapore on Friday morning.
Singapore got its first and only complete large whale carcass in 1892. The 13m-long baleen whale was found beached in southern Malacca that year and its skeleton was subsequently displayed in the old National Museum from 1907 to 1974.
It was then presented as a gift to Malaysia's Muzium Negara and is now housed in the Maritime Museum on Labuan, off Sabah.
So the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum was very keen to recover the recent find for its collection.
The carcass had a huge gash on its posterior half. After museum staff inspected it, divers from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore secured it with ropes to the buoy tender vessel Panduan, which had to move slowly across the West Johor Strait to prevent disintegration of the specimen in the rough waters.
When the carcass reached the Tuas Marine Transfer Station at about 9pm, the museum's mammals and birds curator, Mr Marcus Chua, and scientific officer Foo Maosheng, started work on collecting tissue samples while it was still "fresh" .
Over the next few weeks, museum staff will collect tissues, examine gut contents and recover the skeleton for research and educational purposes. The skeleton of the "Singapore Whale" will eventually go on show at the museum.
Anatomy of a Giant
TODAY takes a closer look at this amazing species - the sperm whale.
ADOLFO ARRANZ Today Online 19 Jul 15;
