Lost Sperm Whale Wanders into Osaka Bay

Feb 08, 2024 | News On Japan

OSAKA - A sperm whale has made a rare appearance in Osaka Bay, estimated to be 12 meters long and weighing around 20 tons, believed to be male. First spotted on January 12th in Hyogo Prefecture, the whale has since moved to Osaka Prefecture, currently staying near the Sakai-Semboku Port area.

Takeshi Takada of the Sakai City Fisheries Cooperative Association expressed concern: "It's impossible to see at night, similar to unknowingly hitting a floating rock mass, I think it's utterly helpless. We hope it doesn't end up like the Yodo River incident."

Last year, a whale that wandered into the mouth of the Yodo River in Osaka Bay attracted significant attention. Unfortunately, it was later found dead and was sunk to the seabed.

Why does a whale appear in this area at this time? Yasunobu Nabeshima, a visiting researcher at the Osaka City Museum of Natural History, who has long studied marine life in Osaka Bay, sheds light on this. "Currently, the Kuroshio Current is meandering significantly, extending the distance from off the coasts of Wakayama and Kochi to Kuroshima. During high tide, water flows towards the Seto Inland Sea, possibly carrying the whale to shallower areas on its currents."

The situation seems grave. Nabeshima continues, "The whale appears to be quite emaciated, possibly not having eaten for about a month and a half. Its severe thinness indicates it's in a difficult predicament."

Source: ANN

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