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Falklands Conservation |
From Falklands Conservation Newsletter 37, Stanley
January 1999
Rare Visitor Stranded
Research continues to identify whale
On 2 January 1999, just when they thought all the fun was over following a hectic festive season, Sharon and Leon Marsh of Rincon Ridge Farm, Fox Bay, came across the corpse of what they, with the aid of guide books, correctly identified as a Beaked Whale. With the aid of photos e-mailed to FC, and subsequently the Falkland Islands Museum, and following visits to Fox Bay by Curator John Smith, the specimen was identified as a member of the genus Mesoplodon from the family Siphiidae - known generally as the Beaked Whales. As there are some 17 members of this genus, positive identification is complex and involves much work.
It is fortunate that Leon and Sharon did exactly the right things for safety and preservation when they found the whale, which has resulted in a very fresh specimen for research and study. It was of course not possible to keep the whale as a wholly intact specimen as decomposition set in rapidly.
The carcass is 10 feet long and appears to be somewhat emaciated, borne out by the stomach being completely empty.
Examination and removal of the organs was carried out with the assistance of the Senior Fisheries Scientist Sasha Arkhipkin and Veterinary Officer Cameron Bell. These specimens are now in Stanley for further research. The head is being dissected by John Smith from the Museum to establish further means of identification.
The whale is a sub adult indicated by the softness of the mandibular bones. In each of these is a large triangular laterally compressed and outwardly flared tooth situated immediately behind to the mandibular symphisis. The teeth do not emerge through the gums, which is a characteristic of the females of this genus. Location of the teeth has been established by X-rays. In lay terms, the teeth are set well forward in the lower jaw with the upper pointed parts bending outwards at about 60. In males this gives a fearsome appearance but females look quite docile as the teeth remain within the jawbone.
Considerable interest has been shown by cetacean experts around the world due to this being one of the very few specimens of this whale found in such an intact condition. In most cases, before being found the carcass has been 'bounced' about on a beach for a week or so, or seabirds have attacked the flesh to such a degree that some areas of the body are beyond use for identification, and certainly preservation, purposes. We await the outcome of the further research with avid anticipation.
In the meantime, John Smith advises that close examination of the scarring on the head of the whale has shown that some of the scars are in fact dolphin tooth marks. John would be interested in hearing if this is usual in cetaceans.
Thanks to John Smith for information and Sharon and Leon for permission to run this story.
Conservation in the Public Eye . . .
Beach Cleans, Displays and Piracy!
by Becky Ingham
During the run up to Christmas and the holiday period, Falklands Conservation was involved in several projects and activities to raise our public profile within the Islands.
The first of these, on 12th December, was the annual Beach Clean, which again took place at Whalebone Cove, just outside Stanley. An outstanding attendance was recorded, with over 150 people turning up to help. Governor Richard Ralph was even spotted donning a pair of gloves and collecting several bags of rubbish. Over 2 tonnes were collected altogether, a total of 241 kg, as well as several large items such a barrels and tyres which were not weighed. The military involvement this year included the Ghurka regiment, whose efforts were greatly appreciated and had vast areas of coastline cleared before lunch!
The BBQ was a great success, expertly cooked by the Scouts, and was as good as ever, whilst the hot teas and coffees were once again provided by SAD Hillside Camp. As well as the actual rubbish collection, the Beach Clean day provides an excellent opportunity for people to get to know what FC is and what we do, as well as giving people an ideal chance to get involved. There are too many people to mention individually who contributed to the success of this year's event, but special thanks should go to Bonner's Haulage for the loan of a tractor and trailer, Falkland Islands Company Ltd for skips, Byron Marine Ltd, Fortuna Ltd, Seafish (Falklands) Ltd, Malvina House Hotel, Synergy Information Systems Ltd and the Hard Disk Cafe for financial support and the donation of prizes. One of our newest members, Mike Biggs, provided an extra truck and trailer and stayed to the very end ensuring all the bags were in the skips. A very big 'thank you' is extended to everybody to who helped in any way.
The following weekend, 26th December, saw the 50th anniversary celebrations of FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Air Service), with an open day at Stanley Airport. FC was in attendance with a stall selling sweatshirts and conservation goodies, and a display of some of our work. With plans to increase the membership within the Islands, we had another special offer on joining FC and increased our total Island membership to 131, a staggering leap from the 98 prior to the AGM in November.
The Plants Guide launch was recently advertised with a display in the Standard Chartered Bank, which brought several enquiries into the office and sold quite a few copies of the Native Plant Survey Guide, also raising the profile of the organisation locally.
With public relations firmly in mind (and not an ounce of trepidation!) FC went sailing (literally) into 1999 with out first ever entry into the Stanley Raft Race. The aptly named Warrah We Doing? took the shape of a Black-Necked Swan and was ably crewed by the staff (Sally Robertson, Becky Ingham and Nick Rendell) and volunteers (Chris Harris, Debbie Summers and Louise Amos). Winning was, luckily, not our main priority and we sailed home a stately fifth from last, having only lost one crew member, field worker Nick, due to some high seas piracy! Special thanks to Grant Munro and Hay and Sam Miller for assistance with building and removing the raft, respectively.
So the last few weeks have certainly been busy ones, resulting in displays, a higher membership, increased sales and a lot of fun for us! Most importantly, however, has been the number of times we've heard people say "Oh - I didn't know you did that!". We still have a long way to go until everybody knows what we do and why, but with some more of the same, 1999 should be a good year for FC!
Gypsy Cove
Compatibility: The Way Forward
by Jeremy Smith
With summer now well underway, FC have once again been focusing on Gypsy Cove, and in particular the impacts of large numbers of visitors on the penguins which breed there. Finding a way to protect the penguins in the face of ever-increasing numbers of people who visit the beach is not easy. It is well recognised that Gypsy Cove is one of the few accessible beaches in the Stanley area, and is a popular picnic and recreational site for many people. Increasingly though, it is also visited by large numbers of cruise ship visitors who are sometimes concerned that little effort seems to be being made to protect what they see as valuable and vulnerable wildlife.
In recent weeks, many people have voiced concerns that the recently completed road is contributing to the potential harm to the area's wildlife. However, it should be remembered that people disturb wildlife, not roads. The road was built in order to protect the landscape of the area from damage by the considerable number of vehicles taking people to visit the site (an alternative would have been to prohibit driving in the area which would have likely proven very unpopular with a great many people). Furthermore, the construction of a road was only one of a number of other initiatives which were recommended as part of a 'package' of measures to more fully protect the area.
From the birds which were treated on Saunders Island, the levels of recovery to breeding status were even higher. Three of the last six birds to be de-oiled have successfully nested and mated with other birds; one at the Rookery colony on the north coast and two at The Neck. One bird unfortunately died following release and one was a young female who has been seen around the colony but is too young to breed. She remains, however, in apparent good health.
This summer, FC has been working with others to improve the level of protection given to the area by implementing more of these recommendations:
With the risks from poisoning and the after-effects of oil ingestion, these birds are still under threat despite the best efforts to clean them. However, there is reason to be hopeful for their survival to breeding status, given the survival rate of the Rockhoppers around the islands, which is greater than usual following de-oiling.
Gypsy Cove, and the resident penguins, are both a valuable recreational resource for Stanley residents, and an important part of a visit to Stanley by many tourists. Part of the answer in ensuring compatibility of these uses must lie in making people aware of the value of the site, and the sensitivities of the wildlife which greatly increases that value. To that end, it is hoped that the provision of leaflets and information boards, coupled with the co-operation and understanding of all who visit, will go some way to both protecting Gypsy Cove, and just as importantly, enhancing the Falklands reputation as a place where wildlife is viewed as a valuable part of our heritage.
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Patron: HRH The Duke of York CVO ADC Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature | BirdLife International Representative |