Whale skull to be displayed

The skull of a gray whale killed in a collision with a ship last month may have a new life as a tourist attraction and educational tool, according to Howard Garrett, president of Orca Network."The most likely destination is going to be the Deception Pass (State Park) interpretative center," Garrett said. "All partners seem to be agreeing on that at this point."The whale's ribs and baleen may go to the Whale Museum or the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor.With skeletons that share many characteristics with land mammals - including human beings - whale remains are a great teaching tool, Garrett said."It takes it from storytelling to show and tell," he said.But before any of that can happen, the whale carcass will need to decay significantly. And according to Jessie Huggins, stranding coordinator for the Cascadia Research Collective, not only is it a pretty long process - at least two months - but it's a pungent one, too."That [smell] can travel quite a ways," she said.The 41-foot adult male has been left to decompose on Polnell Beach, which is on Navy property east of Oak Harbor. Nearby neighbors may get an occasional whiff of decomposing whale depending on the direction of the breeze.Garrett and Huggins said scavengers such as birds, coyotes, and crustaceans would expedite the process of breaking down the carcass. But help from wildlife can only be counted on for a short time."They stop eating it when it gets too disgusting," Huggins said.When whales begin to rot, they basically "melt away," she said. Warm weather and tidal fluctuations also help speed the process. The whale has been secured to the beach to ensure it will not float away.The carcass was discovered April 26 floating between Madrona Beach and Rocky Point off the west shore of Camano Island. Researchers from Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network, a division of Whidbey Island-based Orca Network, attempted to tow the animal by boat to Navy property the next day, but the towline broke and the effort was abandoned.The carcass was located again the next day, and was successfully towed to Polnell Beach. On April 29, a squad of about 20 researchers descended on the carcass to perform a necropsy.Huggins said that bruising in the blubber and the large amount of blood found in the body cavity indicate the whale probably was killed by a passing ship."All the evidence points to it," she said.Whales sink immediately after their death and typically stay submerged for about two days before gases produced by the decomposition process cause it to rise to the surface. Based on that, and the amount of visible decay on the animal, Huggins said the whale likely was killed April 24.Another dead gray whale, a 27-foot juvenile, was discovered near Birch Bay in Whatcom County April 27. A necropsy of that animal revealed both an infection and evidence of a ship collision.Huggins said whale/ship collisions happen about once or twice a year, and are not considered a serious threat to the health of gray whale populations.