A full necropsy (animal autopsy) was conducted on this sub-adult female in association with vets Pa Duignan and Paul Proseé. It wasn't until the very last few minutes of the necropsy that it was discovered that this orca had probably died from the penetration of a stingray spine - either through loss of blood when it may have pierced a blood vessel, or through an acute reaction to the toxins related to the spine. The full results from this event were published in the following paper: Duignan, P. J., Hunter, J. E. B., Visser, I. N., Jones, G. W., & Nutman, A. (2000). Stingray spines: A potential cause of killer whale mortality in New Zealand. Aquatic Mammals, 26(2), 143-147., which is available at the Orca Research Trust website (www.orcaresearch.org).
| Name | Orca (killer whale) |
|---|---|
| Image |
 |
| Suborder | Odontoceti |
| Family | Delphinidae |
| Max. size - Male | 9.8 m (32 ft) |
| Max. size - Female | 8.5 m (27.8 ft) |
| Calf size | 2.1-2.6 m (6.8-8.5 ft) |
| Max. weight - Male | 10,000 kg |
| Max. weight - Female | 7,500 kg |
| Calf weight | 160-180 kg |
| Food | various, depending on which population of orca you are discussing (e.g., New Zealand is primarily rays and sharks, Norway is primarily herring) |
| Latin name | Orcinus orca |
| Location | The Noises Islands, Hauraki Gulf |
|---|---|
| Latitude | -36.68507 |
| Longitude | 174.96333 |
| Number of Whales | 1 |
Ingrid has attended numerous mass and individual strandings. She is experienced in sampling and data collection at these events, and in the use of refloatation Rescue Pontoons and other rescue equipment. She has served on the Board and was a trainer for another stranding rescue group.
To Auckland Coastguard for their assistance in locating the carcass and securing it at Motutapu Island. Department of Conservation faciliated the permission for the necropsy to be performed at the island.
Whale Rescue is a volunteer organisation, run by volunteers. There are lots of different ways that you can help us to continue rescuing whales and dolphins.