Recently we shared the sad news that Lulu the killer whale from the resident pod around the British Isles was found dead. At the time we did not know the cause of death, but now scientists who have been performing the necropsy on Lulu have shared what killed this magnificent animal.
Dr. Andrew Brownlow from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) told the press that it appears that she became caught and entangled in either active or abandoned fishing gear, also known as ghost gear.
Dr. Brownlow said:
“We found convincing evidence that she had become chronically entangled and this was the most likely cause of her death.
The deep wounds and abrasions we observed are consistent with 10-15mm rope, likely still attached to gear of some sort, wrapping around the tail and dragging behind the animal.
Normal swimming and foraging would have been made very difficult and we suspect the animal had been entangled for several days.
There was a lot of seawater in the stomach and we suspect she eventually drowned because of the entanglement.
Although there were no ropes or fishing gear left on the carcass, the lesions are very similar to those we see from creel rope entanglement in baleen whales.”
A truly tragic and preventable loss. The pod, which only had 9 members before Lulu’s death, is now down to 8. The pod hasn’t had a birth since the 1980’s.
Researchers from SMASS hope to learn more from Lulu’s death like her age and if she ever had a calf. They will also look for contaminants in her blubber.
While Lulu’s death will help scientists understand the disappearing resident pod, her death represents a major crisis in our oceans.
Every year around the world marine animals are becoming entangled in abandoned fishing gear.
You as a consumer can have a direct effect on this. By making seafood purchase from companies that are reputable and meet the strict criteria of SeaFood Watch and OceanWise. You can help ensure that fishing gear won’t be abandoned in our oceans that drown and kill amazing animals like Lulu. The choice is ours.