Conjoined gray whale calves have been found dying off the West Coast by scientists in Mexico’s Scammon’s Lagoon.
While the discovery by scientists marks the first documented cases of conjoined gray whale calves, the new occurrence is hindered by the fact that the whales were in a dire state. Scientists made the discovery on Sunday and stated that none of the calves they found survived. One of the scientists, Guerro Negro Verde, posted on his personal Facebook page:
“Unfortunately the specimen died, his survival was difficult.”
According to Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a researcher at the American Cetacean Society, the calves were shockingly underdeveloped and may have been a result of a miscarriage. Although scientists collected the carcass for further analysis, they have made no additional comments regarding the cause of death.
Although this is not the first instance that scientists have discovered conjoined whales, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County have no records of conjoined gray whales being found.
While scientists continue to investigate the cause of death, experts are expressing their concerns that the deformities and deaths with rare animals may have something to do with the Fukushima disaster. Despite the fact that Japanese scientists have found high levels of Cesium in the plankton surrounding the Pacific, the government has stated that the amounts are safe.
However, a the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a study which stated that the death rate in the Pacific has risen to the highest it has ever been over the course of 24 years.
There is also a raising concern that radiation levels are reaching the states as levels have been reported as high along one of California’s beaches.
Conjoined Gray Whale Calves Found Dying Near the West Coast Raise Questions About Fukushima and Radiation.