Whale flatulence stuns scientists

News.Com ^ | August 14, 2003 | Simon Benson

[joesnuffy]

Whale flatulence stuns scientists

By Simon Benson August 14, 2003

IT'S one of the unfortunate consequences of being a mammal - flatulence.

And, more unfortunately for a group of whale researchers, nature took its course right under their noses - literally.

The researchers claim this is the first photograph of a minke whale letting one go in the icy waters of Antarctica.
It was taken from the bow of a research vessel.

"We got away from the bow of the ship very quickly ... it does stink," said Nick Gales, a research scientist from the Australian Antarctic Division.

However, the episode did not detract from their mission, which was to collect DNA from whale dung and attach satellite tracking devices in the first research of its kind to track where the creatures go and what and how much they eat.

Already some incredible stories about whales are emerging.

One pigmy blue whale wearing a satellite tracking tag was found to be returning to a former population off southern Australia which was thought to have been hunted to extinction by Russian whalers.

"Every piece of this research is surprising," said Dr Gales.

"Some is confirming what we thought. We know a lot about humpbacks, but we don't know anything about where they are going.

"Internationally there is a big push ... saying there are now too many whales eating too many fish and so we have to kill them.

"It's important that we determine what impact whales actually have on a fishery such as krill ... and how that fishery interacts with the whale."

The Daily Telegraph

[Wolfie]

Yeah, sure, blame the whale. He who smelt it, dealt it.

[NittanyLion]

Yikes.

[tbpiper]

Whale flatulence stuns scientists

Well, gee whiz, they shouldn't stand so damn close!

[wimpycat]

"We got away from the bow of the ship very quickly ... it does stink," said Nick Gales...

I should think it would...

[sauropod]

Beans, beans the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot...

[ChewedGum]

Hold Muh Nose! Ping!

Gum

[Treebeard]

Oh MAN, everyone knows that a water polished fart stinks way worse than an airburst! That's some serious water displacement there.

[Jonah Hex]

Y'mean, some scientists are actually paid to go lower than whale... dung?

[joesnuffy]

Just dont teach whales how to light 'em

[camle]

something smells about this story.

[RichInOC]

Well, yeah, I guess.

[ChadGore]

Liberals will find a way to tax me and you for this.

[Puppage]

[Drango]

Somehow I know I paid for this. These guys were on a government grant, right?

[anniegetyourgun]

Whale toots = what it's like whenever Hillary opens her mouth. (That's why she's most often seen on the Senate floor speaking to an empty chamber.)

[Liberty Valance]

Pull my fing.....er flipper :o)

[Jonah Hex]

(heard from bystander holding nose)

"Dude, krill kills!"

[WestPacSailor]

Just don't teach whales how to light 'em

When whale frat parties go bad...