Whale's head dissected

Dunedin scientists had an exciting opportunity to learn more about the rarely examined Arnoux beaked whale this week.

The whale, about 9m long, stranded in Purakaunui Inlet last December. After discussions between the Department of Conservation and Kati Huirapa ki Puketeraki, its head and flippers were removed and its body buried.

Department of Conservation marine ranger Jim Fyfe said Arnoux beaked whales were usually more decomposed when found so this was an important chance to learn from its unfortunate death.

"It's an exciting opportunity. We want to get as much information from the head as we can and will then return the material to the burial site."

Prof Ewan Fordyce, head of the University of Otago's geology department and his PhD students, whose specialty was the evolutionary biology of whales and dolphins, undertook the dissection at the Gribbles Veterinary Pathology Laboratory, at Invermay, over two days.

They concentrated on understanding the relationship of the soft tissue to the skull.

"It was highly informative, as they're not well known."

The team concentrated on the soft tissue around the whale's blowhole and looked at its teeth.

It had the four it was documented to have, he said.

While also helping his students understand evolutionary biology, the information gathered would also help Doc and the Karitane runanga.