The Dead Whale

[aunty]

So what if Lua's were put out by the entrance to the subdivision, would anybody use them.

[Chuysmom]

Tony and I used to love to go swim at the tide pools. Last time I was there, there was so much poop and TP around...it was disgusting. I couldn't bring myself to get past it.

It's such a shame that this sensitive area is not guarded by the State of Hawaii. How can they possibly leave it up to visitors - many with keikis to follow toileting rules? If your kid has to go...well?

No matter...even the local homeowners have to deal with plumbing issues and grandfathered cesspools, right?

Carrie

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chuysmom...
It's such a shame that this sensitive area is not guarded by the State of Hawaii. How can they possibly leave it up to visitors - many with keikis to follow toileting rules? If your kid has to go...well?

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It is guarded by the state of Hawaii. It is a marine conservation district. There are a whole lot of things you shouldn't be doing there.

Personal responsibility, an issue that is sadly lacking in most areas of our lives today. people have kids that cant do their business beforehand, they best take plastic bag with them just like many of the dog owners do here.

[bgiles]

Back to the whale...here on Whidbey Island (WA)we had a similar whale, first sighted dead near Tacoma around Thanksgiving, wash up on our beach around Christmas. My volunteer group, Beach Watchers, decided to recover the skeleton complete with the baleen and vestigial leg bones. After we flensed the whale, we ended up tossing our raingear, the smell was really bad. "Rosie's" rearticulated skeleton is now on display at the Coupeville wharf. At least the temperature here in January kept the smell down somewhat. Not sure I would recommend doing the same in Hawaii.

bamboo2u

[Andrew]

I had a wonderful laugh. thanks so much for posting your YouTube video.

quote:

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Originally posted by KeaauRich

OK, this gives me the excuse I need to post one of my favorite you tube videos as a precautionary tale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_t44siFyb4

This is an infamous news report about a town that thought dynamite might be an easy way to get rid of their dead whale carcass

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[asly]

Oh my, yes, thank's for the utube video! Pretty funny to see it again.

I well remember dead whale stinky issues while living in coastal WA State.... yuk, but whatcha gonna do... Wonder if once discovered if the carcass could be towed away from shore and anchored or something.. at least it would be food for other marine life. I don't know just a thought.

Enjoy the day! Ann

[Obie]

It turns out that the whale is sperm whale and the teeth are worth thousands of dollars.In spite of the stench, the chance of coming down with some incurable disease and the threat of prosecution and imprisonment, vandals are going out with chainsaws to cut out the teeth and bones.
The carcass should be reduced to a manageable size soon.

[Rob Tucker]

To the best of my knowledge Native Hawaiians have bona fide gathering rights. Don't know who might be harvesting the whale but I wouldn't get involved anyway.

[Obie]

Whales are endangered and possession of any part is illegal.

The UHH has roped off the area now and is going to harvest the jaw and remaining teeth.

Witnesses have turned in the license plate numbers of the people cutting out teeth and they will be sought out.

I believe even native Hawaiians would need Federal permission to harvest the teeth.It is also inside the MLCD.

I guess it's slow at the volcano because we now have tourist helicopters circling.

[MarkP]

The teeth would always be hot potatoes I think since there are so few ways to obtain them legally. Anyway I once spoke with a fisherman who came across a small sperm whale far offshore. He couldn't get the jaw loose by yanking on it with the boat, so he contacted a friend who motored in to get a chainsaw. Unfortunately his friend was a blabbermouth and the next thing the fisherman knew there was a coast guard helicopter hovering over him ordering him to cut loose from the whale or be arrested.