Blisters on Humpback Whale 12/30/06 Blisters on Humpback Whale 12/30/06
Pock Marks on Humpback Whale 12/12/06
Raised lesions on spinner dolphin 6/12/05
Some sort of growth from inside mouth of spinner dolphin 6/5/06
Freckles (skin discoloration) on spinner dolphin 12/30/06
"While the marks on the animal that you saw are not rare, we do not know what causes them. I can say from almost thirty years of observing humpback whales, that this type of "skin condition" is most often seen on juvenile whales. I am guessing that your whale was a juvenile, both given the condition of the skin and the time of the season (juveniles and mothers with yearlings are the first to arrive on the breeding ground). At our recent health assessment workshop, we recognized that calves and juveniles often have characteristic skin rashes or lesions. Some of it could be analogous to adolescent acne, some of it could be from parasites (as young whales are probably more likely to acquire these), and some of it could be from their tendency, as inexperienced whales, to bump into things in their environment. We know this because young whales are at the greatest risk to become entangled. However, the marks on this whale are not consistent with entanglement scars. I think this is probably a young whale that has had a tough adolescence ...maybe having to feed in less than opportune circumstances, or on non-preferred bait. In the Gulf of Maine, where I used to work, young animals seemed less experienced in finding the good food and were the most likely to stay and eek out a living in an area that they were familiar with, but which adult whales had left for "greener pastures"...
There is a condition that we have noticed on adult whales however, which we were calling "blisters", but at the health workshop decided to call them "bumps", as blisters suggests a certain pathology that we are not sure of. I have attached a picture of a whale with these "bumps". We do not know what causes these, but we do know that they are rare on western North Atlantic whales, fairly common in Hawaii, and very prevalent in S. Pacific whales (we have been studying them in American Samoa). They could be from a virus, or could be some strange healing from cookie cutter sharks, or something else. What is probably needed is a dead whale on the beach with these bumps, so that we can sample in and around the bump. They don't seem to be impacting the health of whales, on a population level anyway, as the S. Pacific whales are increasing at the highest rate measured anywhere, and Hawaiian whales are doing pretty well also."
"In the most recent newsletter I read with great sadness and
alarm of the strange skin disorders that had been recorded in the humpbacks and bottlenoses...
Its a weird timing, cos only the day before I was experiencing the same feelings when i was reading the following articles, I am pasting in here for you, about a new emerging disease called Morgellon's disease... which i really recomend you take a look at
in regards to a connection to the emergent strange skin disorders you are witnessing."
"It may be that the skin conditions have been around for a long time and now with improved digital imaging and so many more pictures being taken, we are have just noticed it."
