Sperm Whale Carcass Leaves Bay to Be Sunk

A 40-tonne sperm whale carcass was today being towed from Golden Bay to a site off the Wairarapa coast, where it will be sunk, despite increasingly stormy conditions.

Speaking from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research vessel Kaharoa this morning, seabed ecologist Ashley Rowden said the operation was expected to take 16 hours.

“There’s a 30-knot wind at the moment and we’re looking closely at the weather forecast. There appears to be a window of opportunity,” Mr Rowden said at 8.30am.

Scientists aim to sink the whale to study how animal life develops on the carcass on the seabed, as part of an international project into life in deep-sea environments.

The 15m adult male died last Wednesday night after stranding 1km off Puponga Point at the base of Farewell Spit.

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