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  • Marine biologists to the forum please
  • scotroutes
    Full Member

    Out for a beach ride on South Uist today and I spotted what I initially thought was a bit of tree.

    DSC_0427 by Colin Cadden – Flickr2BBcode

    Upon closer inspection it turned out to be bone. A skull from sort of whale.

    DSC_0425 by Colin Cadden – Flickr2BBcode

    It was pretty big.


    DSC_0429 by Colin Cadden – Flickr2BBcode

    Can anyone identify the species? I’m thinking Humpback or Sperm.

    Posted 4 years ago
    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Nessie

    Posted 4 years ago
    Houns
    Full Member

    Cool…. Hope you carried it back to mount above your fire place 😂

    Posted 4 years ago
    CraigW
    Free Member

    Worth reporting it to Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme? Or check their map,to see if it has been reported already. http://www.strandings.org/

    Posted 4 years ago
    big_scot_nanny
    Full Member

    Since you asked, and I was, some 24 years ago, a qualified marine biologist – it looks like some kind of baleen whale, quite small, as its Scotland I would vote for Minke. (No the Scottish vernacular 😂)

    I don;t think its a sperm whale, they are ‘toothed’ whales and have a top jaw that allows the lower jaw teeth to slot into it. Rest of a sperm whale’s skull is also v weird.

    Could be completely wrong of course!

    Posted 4 years ago
    kayak23
    Full Member

    Could it be this one? Or too big for a bairn?

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/islands/western-isles/1598280/newborn-sperm-whale-washes-up-in-western-isles/amp/

    Posted 4 years ago
    lister
    Full Member

    1st photo: that’s a gannet skull

    2nd photo: oh…dunno…

    3rd photo: Jesus! It’s the size of a bike, what the hell is that???

    (Quick google suggests Minke could be correct)

    Posted 4 years ago
    Vader
    Free Member

    Baby Robin?

    Posted 4 years ago
    petec
    Free Member

    oooh get to use my degree for once, but too late!

    yeah – definitely a baleen whale of some description. Upper jaw and skull. Compare and contrast https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/whale-head-bone.html

    probably a minke, but of course be a juvenile any other species

    Definitely not a sperm whale, or any toothed whale/dolphin.

    Posted 4 years ago
    oldtennisshoes
    Full Member

    Barnacles were more my thing, but my initial thought was one of the beaked whales.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaked_whale

    Posted 4 years ago
    woody71
    Free Member

    Copepod calenoida

    Posted 4 years ago
    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    That needs to be above the garage at your house…

    Posted 4 years ago
    stevied
    Free Member

    “You’re gonna need a bigger bike”

    Posted 4 years ago
    petec
    Free Member

    it’s not a beaked whale – it doesn’t have the skull shape to hold the size of melon needed for decent echolocation (which beaked whales need, being deep water species)

    Posted 4 years ago
    epicyclo
    Full Member

    It looks quite old as if it has been buried under the sand for a few centuries.

    Have you notified the local historical group? (The mob with the birlinn parked outside)

    They may have more info on it.

    Edit: This is a birlinn for those who don’t know

    Posted 4 years ago
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