WHOI-2005-09
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
G
"1 0
1930
Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings for Strandings
in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Madeira, 1999-2002
by
Darlene R. Ketten
20060120 029
November 2005
Technical Report
Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research under Contract Number N0000140010284
and NOAA Fisheries under Grant Number 44221200.
WHOI-2005-09
Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings for Strandings
in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Madeira, 1999-2002
by
Darlene R. Ketten
November 2005
Technical Report
Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research under Contract Number
N0000140010284 and NOAA Fisheries under Grant Number 44221200.
Reprodiuction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the United States
Government. This report should be cited as Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst. Tech. Rept.,
WHOI-2005-09.
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
Approved for Distribution:
V 
jJohn Stegeman, Chair
Department of Biology
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings
Examinations conducted January, 1999-2002
Darlene R. Ketten, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Biology Dept.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Asst. Professor, Dept. of Otology and Laryngology
Harvard Medical School
Necropsy and histologic findings for examinations performed on beaked whales
stranding between October, 1999 and June, 2002 are summarized below. They are
presented in chronological order of exams and comprise strandings from the
following areas:
I. Puerto Rican collections from Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican waters, 1999-
2000
II. Northern Bahamas
mI. Madeira
IV. Puerto Rico coastal, 2002
I. Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands
USVI/PR Strandings Oct - Dec. 1999; examinations 19-22 January 2000;
Vieques Stranding, 3 May 2000; examination 25-27 May 2000
I. Puerto Rico/Virgin Island Study Overview
Under ONR contract N0000140010284 and at the request of several Navy offices and
NMFS, Dr. D.R. Ketten (WHOI/Harvard Medical School) traveled 19-22 January, 2000
to Puerto Rico to examine the remains of beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris and
Mesoplodon spp.) that stranded in Puerto Rico and nearby Caribbean waters between
October, 1999 and January, 2000. The examinations were carried out to determine
whether the remaining tissues showed any evidence of auditory trauma or other
pathology relevant to the recorded stranding events. Three of the residual skulls, minus
lower jaw and in some cases ear elements, were sent by Dr. Anthony Mignucci and
received in June, 2001 at WHOI for additional examinations.
Heads from the Oct-Jan. strandings were collected by Dr. Anthony Mignucci and his
associates. These heads were flensed and buried by the stranding response team or local
officials prior to the examination. This is often the standard procedure in tropical areas
particularly for strandings in remote areas; however it destroys all soft tissue evidence
which is crucial for a comprehensive analysis. Dr. Mignucci was advised to change the
procedure to removal and preservation of the intact head by freezing or fixation and
preservation in formalin or alcohol whenever possible. Consequently, only one intact
head from a stranding in May, 2000 was examined in a state comparable to heads
examined from other regions in this report. That head was transported to the Roosevelt
Roads Naval Base and through the cooperation of personnel at the base was frozen within
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
12 hours of removal and shipped to Boston for full CT examination and dissection. With
the exception of the latter head, only bony skull elements (Fig. la) were available to
assess for other animals examined from this area.
Figure la. Skulls from adult beaked whales stranded in the US Virgin Islands, Oct. 1999.
Summary findings are that skulls and heads of adults of both sexes and some juvenile
males were examined grossly and by CT scanning. All but one skull were overtly normal
although their preservation is insufficient for any firm conclusion. There is no evidence of
blunt or shock related trauma in any specimen. One skull presumed to belong to an older
male has evidence of long-term disease in the lower jaw and ears which was likely to have
compromised hearing. There was no indication of blunt or auditory trauma in the intact
head. The gross appearance of this head and the scan data suggest it is an older male.
Similar to the one abnormal skull, it also has cranial abnormalities consistent with
prolonged infection or age related degeneration consistent with diminished hearing.
1.1 Skull Exams/January, 2000:
Observations
Tentative IDs of skulls examined:
NEPST 506 (498 cm. adult female stranded 25 November 1998, Hatillo),
NEPST 531 (536 cm. adult male stranded 18 January 1998, Vieques),
NEPST 576 (520 cm. adult female stranded 03 October 1999, Coral Bay St. John),
NEPST 575 (494 cm. adult female stranded 03 October 1999, N. Green Cay, St.
Thomas),
NEPST 579 (360 cm. adult male stranded 03 October 1999, Cowpet Bay, St. Thomas).
Five skulls were examined on site at the facility directed by Dr. Antonio Mignucci in
San Juan, P.R. ID tags were missing from the skulls when examined by Dr. Ketten. The
ID markers for each skull were reportedly lost during a flood at the skull burial site;
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
therefore sex, age category, and body mass are uncertain. Because of the extreme sexual
dimorphism and because body mass-skull morphometric relationships are moderately
well established for beaked whales, it is theoretically possible to match skulls to the
original data sheets. A preliminary sorting by sex and skull mass vs. recorded body length
was done on site by Dr. Ketten assisted by Dr. Mignucci students and staff. Dr.
Mignucci has agreed to supply the stranding records from his data base and to loan the
skulls in order to perform the necessary measurements for a more definitive ID survey.
As noted above, three skulls were received within the last month for which measurements
are underway, but only estimated ID matches are available at the time of this report.
Based on gross cranial shape and length, the skulls were obtained from adult and older
juvenile male and female beaked whales. With the exception of one skull, all were
normally configured with no remarkable pathology. 
The odd skull was that of a
presumed adult male with an aberrant right jaw and ear, tentative ID of NEPST531,
stranded on Vieques, January 1998. The right mandible had two significant healed
fractures (evidenced by displaced segments joined by replacement bone) and extensive
associated osteolytic areas (Fig. 1c). The latter consisted of thinned, bubbled bony foci
surrounding and radiating from the fracture sites. The auditory bulla on this side had
rugose lateral and ventral surfaces consistent with otosclerotic or degenerative changes,
presumably from an associated infection or aging.. The left jaw and bulla had moderate
demineralization but no extensive, overt lesions.
Figure lb. Right lower jaw with healed fracture and osteolytic lesions from male Ziphius
cavirostris, tentative ID NEPST53 1.
Conclusions
Residual skull elements including the ears in the majority of animals examined have no
overt abnormalities. Their appearance at a gross level is consistent with normal hearing in
four of the five skulls examined. One male skull with an abnormal jaw and ear has
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
evidence of a unilateral chronic infection that resulted in extensive bony pathology in both
the ear and lower jaw. The jaw was deeply ravaged, and the pattern of lytic areas
suggests repeat and severe infectious bouts. The extent of healed bone juxtaposed with
the lytic lesions (spongy, bubbled areas of thin bone radiating from the denser line of the
healed fracture; see Fig. lb) suggests that the original insult damaging the jaw resulted in a
severe infection, possibly septic osteolysis, which continued to erupt over several
months if not years following the fracture. The pitted, rugose surface of the ear bones
associated with this jaw suggests the ipsilateral ear was also compromised by the
infection. This skull was requested for loan in order to scan the inner ears to determine if
inner ear inflammatory responses in the form of labyrinthine replacement bone could be
confirmed, but the specimen has not yet been received. This animal can reasonably be
assumed to have had moderate to profound hearing loss in at least the ipsilateral ear from
labyrinthitis ossificans attending the fulminating infection. 
In most mammals,
sympathetic loss is common in the contralateral ear, therefore this animal is likely to have
had a long term, infection-derived, bilateral hearing impairment. There was no evidence in
this or any of the other four skulls examined of direct blows or blunt trauma that would
suggest a recent precipitous loss; however, because of the lack of soft tissues, less
traumatic damage cannot be ruled out.
Summary
One animal with chronic disease consistent with profound long term hearing loss. All
other skulls were normal with no evidence of blunt or direct trauma.
1.2. Intact Head Exam
ID: NEPST 601, 453 cm adult male, stranded 3 May, 2000, Isla de Vieques, examined
25-27 May, 2000:
The head of a male adult beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) was harvested by Dr. A.
Mignucci from an animal that stranded and died in Vieques, 3 May 2000. Storage was
supplied by the Navy base, Roosevelt Road, Puerto Rico at Dr. Mignucci's request. Mr.
Winston Martinez, USN, supervised crating and shipping arrangements within Puerto
Rico. The head was shipped frozen in a sealed body bag (sent to RRNB from Dr
Ketten's laboratory) inside a wooden crate (constructed at RRNB) via a non-stop
commercial jet flight (American Airlines) from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Boston, Mass.
and transported in its unopened packaging by truck to Dr. Ketten's laboratory at WHOI
on 25 May 2000. Collection, packaging and shipping were jointly supported by NMFS
and ONR.
On receipt at WHOI, the head was uncrated, tagged with a WHOI archive ID (ZC09),
rebagged in a locked body bag, and placed in a -20 degree C freezer. 
There was no
evidence of external deterioration or thawing of the specimen. The head was subsequently
transported in its packaging by private van to Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary for CT
examination.
At MEEI, the inner bags were opened and the head examined visually by D. Ketten.
There were was no external evidence of thawing or tissue distortion. Externally, the head
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
was intact with minor fresh abrasions (superficial tears or cuts, <3 cm. in length),
particularly on the ventral surface. These are consistent with beaching and handling. The
head had been removed at the occiput. Both condyles were intact. The spinal cord was
creamy with moderate firmness and appeared well preserved. There was frank blood
consistent with decapitation, but no clotting or evidence of hemorrhage. Superficial
lividity was noted on the ventral surface particularly in the area of the throat grooves.
The rostrum and melon had multiple depigmented streaks that likely represent tooth scars
from conspecific battles and are common in adult males of this species. Both eyes were
present and the globes intact. Peri-ocular tissues were normal; i.e., there was no evidence
of contusion or hemorrhage in either eye or in surrounding tissues. Hand exploration of
the blowhole and adjacent narial passages showed normal configuration and pigmentation.
There were no contusions or blood deposits, and the airways appeared patent. 
The
mouth cavity was clear and normal in appearance with the following notations: two holes
are evident in the rostral tip of the mandibles which are consistent with the removal of the
tusks. Consequently, no comments on wear or tooth structure are possible. It is
recommended that Dr. Mignucci be consulted to determine if he excised the teeth, and if
so that they are be examined by Dr. James Mead or Dr. Aleta Hohn and sectioned for age
estimates. The labia of this animal are noticeably worn and heavily wrinkled. The general
appearance of the skin is thickened and wrinkled but this is particularly evident
surrounding the mouth. This, combined with the scarring and skull shape, suggests the
animal is an older male. Lastly, there are abundant parasitic cysts of 1-3 mm diameter
visible superficially.
Scanning was done at 3 mm slicing using a spiral protocol through the accessible head
area. There is no evidence in the scans of fracture of any skull element nor of hemorrhage
in the soft tissues, cranial spaces, or ears. The sinuses and ear cavities are clear. The
mandibles show bilateral thinning and osteolytic lesions in the posterior rami. In order to
investigate the substructure of these lesions and the inner ear status, a second imaging
session is planned using 100 micron, ultra-high resolution scanning at the WHOI facility
followed by extraction and dissection of the ears.
Conclusions
Jaw and ear lesions of the type found in this animal and in the one skull have
previously been seen in older animals of other species, including Tursiops and Phocoena.
They are consistent with a long standing (i.e., multi-year), repeat, fulminating infection of
the jaw and/or throat and ear regions and are most often found in older males in
odontocetes. In humans, infections often spread from the throat to the inner ear and can
result in labyrinthitis and partial to complete deafness. Jaw abnormalities observed in
this head in tandem with the general condition of cranial structures, skin condition,
demineralization of major skull elements, head size, etc. suggest this was an older male
afflicted with chronic and age-related pathology that may have resulted in partial or
profound hearing loss.
Summary
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Older male animal with grossly normal head structure and moderate mandibular
pathology. There is no evidence of blunt or auditory trauma. Poor skin tone, scarring,
obvious moderate to heavy parasite load, and pathologic corruption of the jaw structures
suggest geriatric debilitation compounded by long-term, repeated infections of the jaw and
peribullar tissues.
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
H. Northern Bahamas
Strandings 15-16 March, 2000; examinations 17 March, onward
II. Northern Bahamas Study Overview
From 15-17 March, 2000, a mixed species mass stranding event was recorded
involving beachings of animals on the northern Bahamian islands of Grand Bahama,
Abaco, and surrounding cays. At the request of NMFS, in cooperation with the
Bahamian government, several American scientists assisted in the assessment of these
animals and in post-mortem analyses of the stranded animals that died. This report
covers cranial structures assessed through gross observation, dissection, scanning, and
inner ear histologies completed at this time.
Tissues from six whales have been examined to date by gross dissection and
computerized tomography. Exams of 3 animals consisted of gross dissections of heads in
an advanced state of decomposition. A fourth head was dissected in a relatively fresh
state on site in Abaco, Bahamas. The ears of this animal were extracted and secondarily
examined with ultra-high resolution computerized tomography (UHR-CT scanning) at the
MEEI Radiology Dept.. Two undissected heads, one in an intact animal, were also
examined with UHR CT at MEEI. Of these specimens, one is a delphinid (Stenella
frontalis) and the remainders are ziphiids from two genera (Ziphius cavirostris and
Mesoplodon densirostris). The ziphiids are uncommon stranders. The findings
summarized below were discussed with the chairs of Radiology and Otolaryngology of
Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School and Dr. S. Ridgway, SPAWAR
before distribution; scan and necropsy findings were reviewed by Dr. Dale Dunn of AFIP
and NMFS personnel at a meeting in July, 2000.
Summary Findings
In no animal was there evidence of profound or near-field blast damage, but in two
of the fresher heads, there is a preliminary finding of in vivo auditory system pathology
or trauma in the beaked whale specimens. This evidence consists of intra-cochlear (IC)
and temporal region subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH) with cerebral ventricular clots
(LVH). In simpler terms, there are deposits of blood within some of the inner ear
chambers, and, in at least one animal, the blood trail can be traced to a hemorrhage in a
discrete region of the fluid spaces surrounding the brain. This animal also has clotting on
the dorsal surfaces of both lateral ventricles of the brain (Fig. 2). These pathologies were
first observed in the CT scans and subsequently confirmed by gross dissection.
The number and coincidence of the strandings combined with these necropsy
fmdings suggest pressure related trauma in the beaked whales. The patchy patterning of
blood in the Ziphius and Mesoplodon ears indicates that the inner ear membranous
partitions were intact and that the cochlear aqueduct was a primary conduit for blood
movement between the cranial and inner ear spaces. The presence of blood in only
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
restricted intracranial spaces and the intact inner ear membranes are not consistent with
simple post-mortem pooling. Indiscriminate post-mortem pooling is generally greater on
the dependent areas (side down on beaching) and occurs throughout the whole ear because
normal ear tissues that seal and divide the inner ear are lost through post-mortem
necrosis.
Fig. 2. 3D reconstruction of beaked whale trauma suite from scan data, Mv1D12
In these specimens, the SAH and ventricular hemorrhages are not consistent with a
simple pattern of lividity or dependent pooling in these animals. 
Further, blood is
present in only two of three inner ear divisions. The inner ear hemorrhages line the
cochlear aqueduct and auditory nerve canal which connect with the subarachnoid space
surrounding the brain. The integrity of the ear and the absence of blood in the middle ear
and in lower, pendant areas of the head suggest strongly that a cerebrospinal fluid
"squeeze" concomitant with an intense pressure event was the source of inner ear blood
in these animals. The patterning of the hemorrhages therefore suggests the ear was
structurally intact and the animals were alive at the time of injury.
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Findings in the poorly preserved specimens are consistent with those in the fresher
animals, but are not conclusive because of the animals' poor preservation. Observations
are consistent for all animals examined to the extent that bloody effusions were found in
and near the ears, and there were no indications of ship strike or other large, direct
impacts. However, in the three poorest specimens we cannot rule out post-mortem
migration and deposition of blood in the auditory areas. There are no findings for the
brains of these animals because of autolysis.
The strongest consistent finding among all animals; i.e., in both the well and poorly
preserved specimens, is the presence of a mandibular hemorrhage in the "acoustic" fats of
the jaw. In one poorly preserved animal the extent of the hemorrhage mirrors the
hemorrhage in the jaw fats of one well-preserved head. Because these hemorrhages are
distinct and adjacent tissues do not have hemorrhages in any of the cases, they are
unlikely to be explained by simple lividity.
Study Conclusions
The state of the poorly preserved animals makes any conclusion from their tissues
debatable. Therefore, the most significant findings to date are based on observations on
animals for which the heads are well preserved. Two of these are beaked whales found on
the southwestern shore of Abaco which have consistent injury patterns. The preliminary
conclusion is that the stranded beaked whales have consistent auditory and CSF trauma.
The third well-preserved animal, a delphinid, stranded on a northeastern shore of the
Abaco Cays, has no findings related to or consistent with recent auditory trauma but did
have extensive necrosis and wasting. It is likely that this dolphin was an unrelated,
coincidental stranding.
There are several important implications from the observations on these animals.
First, the level of intracochlear blood and hemorrhage in these animals is consistent with a
transient, intense event. Second, the observed damage does not necessarily indicate
permanent hearing loss or mortality. While these lesions are likely to be painful initially,
humans with similar auditory system hemorrhage and animals with similar experimentally
induced lesions in lab studies typically regain any hearing that is impaired by the event.
In fact, in some cases there is often no significant hearing loss reported. Humans usually
report only substantial transient head pain and the hemorrhages are found by scan or
post-mortem exam in the case of lab studies.
It is important to remember that what killed these animals; i.e., the cause of death
was the physical consequences of stranding, including hyperthermia, suffocation, and
blood loss from external wounds from coral cuts, shark attack, etc.. The fact that animals
that were rapidly returned to sea have not to date re-stranded is consistent with non-
permanent trauma. Therefore, the cause of the auditory traumaper se is not the cause of
death in these animals, but it may be an important contributing factor. Even if the
auditory damage evident in the necropsied animals was recuperable, it is still important to
analyze it carefully and to determine its cause since it is likely to have played a significant
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
role, perhaps by initiating the strandings. Ear damage therefore should be viewed as a
marker or bell-whether for a potential cause of these strandings.
The current necropsy findings in the heads argue most strongly for a source with
characteristics that are especially significant or traumatic for beaked whales. The get at
the cause, the fundamental issues that must be addressed are: 1) why did beaked whales
dominate the strandings and is their physiology a contributing factor relevant to any
potential cause; 2) were there any explosive or unusual acoustic events coincident or
contemporary with the strandings; 3) if so, what was there about the event(s) that could
be particularly important to beaked whales; 4) if there is no outstanding single event that
fits an underlying cause, is there a combination of the known events that could explain the
strandings. The latter is particularly important to consider; i.e., we may be looking at a
combination of a man-made source or sources that are insignificant except that the event
took place in the presence of beaked whales plus near shore.
Based on current medical and experimental data, the hemorrhagic patterns observed
in these animals are found in the following etiologies (n. b.: order not significant):
concussive acoustic trauma from blasts or intense impulse events, barotrauma, direct or
contact concussive trauma (head blows with or without fracture), auditory concussion
from non-impulse source, sonic booms, spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage and
hyperemia (bleeding into the cranial fluid spaces), vestibular atelactasis (vestibular
collapse accompanied by sudden vertigo and nausea), intraoperative birth trauma (canal
squeeze and forceps use), and diathetic (hemorrhage enhancing) disease.
This list raises several interesting possibilities and a few spectres. 
Consider the
known etiologies one by one. The number, temporal coincidence, and age of the animals
stranding make birth trauma and random spontaneous hemorrhage quite unlikely
candidates for a related cause. Diathetic disease? This is an important consideration
warranting full investigation. Hemorrhagic diathesis generally relates to impaired clotting
mechanisms. In humans, diseases related explicity to subarachnoid and intracochlear
hemorrhages include hemophilia (rarely), Wegener's granulomatosis, and leukemia. The
patterning of diathetic hemorrhage observed in the whales mirrors that of diathetic, stress
induced and spontaneous hemorrhage in humans and land mammals who are prone to
hemorrhagic diathesis. We also know that some species of dolphins lack some clotting
factors. Were any of these diseases present, there should be evidence found in the body
cavity tissue histologic analyses. At this time those analyses have been requested but
have not been completed. In addition, while clotting factor analyses have been done on a
few cetacean species, there are no data available for beaked whales. It is possible that
beaked whales have effectively a diathetic state or condition that is for them normal and
possibly even adaptive for diving but which makes them particularly fragile to stress or
prone to hemorrhage. If so, the stress of the sound field may have induced hemorrhage,
and that they were not directly an acoustically induced event. As with the disease case,
looking for symptoms of such a condition should certainly be a priority in the necropsy
analyses for beaked whales in this and in other stranding cases. Vestibular? A hyper-
responsive vestibular system, particularly for lower frequency signals, is certainly an
important possibility for beaked whales considering that they have a better developed
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Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
vestibular system and Eustachian tube than most cetaceans. However, even were this
true, while interesting, it begs the important, underlying question that must be addressed.
Determining if beaked whales have some especially fragile aspect of their physiology is
important but not in itself sufficient. Avoiding future events requires understanding what
was the catalyst - related or not to some special physiology - that precipitated an event
of this magnitude dominated by beaked whales. Consequently, of the known potential
causes, intense impulsive sources, shock waves, and sources that mimic pressure
characteristics of sonic booms are the most probable and clearly warrant careful
consideration.
In summary, the findings in the beaked whale heads examined to date are that
hemorrhages were found in the inner ears and some cranial spaces. These pathologies are
consistent with trauma that may have compromised hearing but was not immediately
lethal. Other related observations include hemorrhages and contusions in the jaw fats and
mandibles in some of the animals. The pattern of damage is consistent with acoustic
trauma but a number of other causes are equally possible and cannot be ruled out at this
stage of analyses. Additional analyses that may be valuable for determining with greater
certainty any contributory cause(s) of this stranding include light microscopic
examinations of the inner ear and related tissues. Results from inner ear analyses can
confirm the presence and distributions of intracochlear blood consistent with the CT
finding and determine whether critical inner ear trauma exists. It cannot, however, be said
from the scan observations whether the pathologies noted were the result of direct or
indirect acoustic exposures. 
To solve that element will require explicit histologic
evidence, experimental investigation of trauma susceptibility (frequency dependent
phenomena), and physiologic specializations (clotting phenomena) in beaked whales.
INDIVIDUAL SPECIMEN REPORTS
Analysis Requested by: NMFS/T. Rowles; Bahamian Fisheries Service/ A. Bater
Field Dissections: 
19-21 March, 2000
Preliminary Oral Report: 22 March, 2000
Written Summary Report: 13 April, 2000/revised 31 May 2000/finalized 25 October
2000
This report is based on dissections and computerized tomographic data as noted for each
specimen. Each specimen is assessed individually and listed in chronological order of
examination. Findings for each individual are summarized at the end of each specimen
section.
11.1 Specimen ID/sex: 10-Zc female 18 feet total length
Species: Ziphius cavirostris
Date of stranding: reported 16/03/00; presumed 15/03/00
Location: Golden Rock Creek G.B 26.30N/78.22W
Preliminary condition: Code 3/Dead-decaying
Analyses to date: field dissection
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Tissue Dispositions: Bater/Ewing unless otherwise noted
Skull- frozen
Right ear - formalin
Left ear in situ-frozen
Eye, lung, ovary -formalin
Stomach contents - frozen
Renal parasites - EtOH
Skin-frozen
Serum, hemolyzed blood-frozen
Observations/other observers:
The animal was first reported stranded at Gold Rock Creek, Grand Bahama, by Dr. Alan
Bater of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Dr. Bater conducted a preliminary examination of the
whale on March 17, and requested that a NMFS veterinary pathologist assist with the
necropsy. Others who reported seeing the whale earlier said she stranded live but
appeared debilitated. Dr. Bater and Mr. Chris Allison reported that the whale had blood
coming from the eye sockets and mouth at the time of their exam. Samples of the blood
from the eye area were obtained by Dr. Bater and refrigerated. Dr. Ruth Ewing from
NMFS Southeast arrived on March 18 to assist. The whale, which had been buried on
order of local authorities on the afternoon of March 17, was exhumed on March 18 at
1200. Dr. Ewing and Dr. Bater conducted the necropsy of the body cavity. Mr. Ken
Balcomb, Mr. Hoyt Peckham, and Ms. Nan Hauser assisted with the necropsy and
documented it on film and video. The head was removed, transported to Dr. Bater's
office, and placed in barrels with ice. Dr. Darlene Ketten (WHOI/HMS) and Mr. Charles
Potter (Smithsonian MNH) arrived March 19 to conduct the cranial exam. The results
from the body cavity will be reported by Dr. Ewing. All observations noted below were
photo-documented.
Observations/Ketten/Cranial/Temporal regions:
The head was extracted from the ice bath and placed ventral up for examination. Most of
the superficial tissue had been removed during the beach necropsy, including the majority
of the dorsal, ventral, and lateral blubber layer, underlying fats, and musculature. There
are extensive superficial deposits of sand and sediment.
Intermandibular length is 32.5 cm; interbullar length at mid-tympanic, 30 cm.
Basic condition of the residual head tissues is badly necrosed. 
The brain is fully
autolyzed; no samples of residual central nervous system tissues were taken.
Gross examination of the major skull elements shows no evidence of fracture or
dislocation. Sutures are intact and fused. The narial passages are clear although the
mucosa has some necrotic regions. There are no gross hemorrhages in the mandibular fats
or remaining jaw musculature and no overt contusions of the maxillary or mandibular
bones.
The peribullar complex is somewhat bleached bilaterally.
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The temporal bones (tympano-periotic complex) are normally positioned, and there is no
indication of overt fracture in the bony elements of the tympanic or periotic bullae. The
external surfaces of the tympano-periotic complex are clean and well-formed. The VIIlth
nerve was absent and the cochlear windows were compromised. There is a moderate
pooling of blood in the retrobullar space on the right. The left peribullar areas are
unremarkable.
The right posterior tympanic prominence cartilaginous shield has moderate bruising. The
middle ear corpus cavernosum is heavily invested with blood bilaterally. The right ear
was extracted as a complete complex, perfused with buffered formalin via the round
window, and placed in buffered formalin in a sealed whirl pak. The left ear was left in situ
since the gross condition of the head did not appear to warrant a bilateral harvest of
tissues.
Findings:
Because of the absence of gross damage, the state of the head (necrotic and flensed) makes
any conclusion about trauma or disease equivocal. The superficial debris is consistent
with burial. The condition of the tissues is consistent with 3 days or more post-mortem
at the local temperatures. The dimensions and overall appearance of the head are
consistent with an adult female. 
The lack of fracture and deep bone bruising in
combination with a lack of preferential hemorrhage in the perimandibular tissues suggests
the animal was not subjected to an intense pressure from a near-by blast or shock wave.
The gross condition of the tympano-periotic complex is consistent with a healthy adult
ear with no overt indicators of prior severe otitis media. Intra-labyrinthine condition
cannot be assessed reliably in this examination because conventional indicators (e.g.,
fenestral integrity, VIIth nerve dimensions and condition) are absent. Exsanguination of
the peribullar spaces is likely to be related to decapitation followed by soaking in the ice
bath. Pooling of blood in retrobullar spaces, effusion of the corpus cavernosum, and the
mottled appearance of the peribullar cap are suspicious but are also consistent with post-
mortem artifact. The presence of blood on the right side may be attributed to post
mortem lividity or to a unilateral insult. Histological analyses of the samples taken of the
ear tissues may be warranted to address the question of whether the gross changes
occurred ante or post mortem, but it is unlikely that the inner ear structures required to
address acoustic or vestibular trauma remain. CT examinations of these tissues may be
able to determine bilateral differences in intracochlear blood, but, again, such findings
would be equivocal.
Summary:
Poor preservation/Extensive autolysis/Retrobullar blood Rt/Peribullar blood Rt
11.2 Specimen ID/sex: 
l1-Zc male 17 feet total length
Species: Ziphius cavirostris
Date of stranding: reported 16/03/00; presumed stranded 15/03/00
Location: Golden Rock Creek G.B 26.30N/78.22W
13
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Preliminary condition: Code 3/Dead-decaying
Analyses to date: field dissection
Tissue Dispositions: Bater/Ewing unless otherwise noted
Skull-frozen
Left ear - formalin
Right ear in situ-frozen
Eye, testes-formalin
Skin-frozen and DMSO
Serum, hemolyzed blood-frozen
Tooth - dried (K. Balcomb)
Observations/other observers:
This animal was found, buried, exhumed, and examined in tandem with the female
described above. All observations noted below were photo-documented.
Observations/Ketten/Cranial/TemporaI regions:
As described for the previous animal, the head was extracted from the ice bath and placed
ventral up for examination. Most of the superficial tissue had been removed during the
beach necropsy, including the majority of the dorsal, ventral, and lateral musculature. The
head had been cleanly decapitated at the occiput. All tissues are badly necrosed. There is
no gross evidence of fracture on any cranial surface. 
Sutures are intact and fused.
Occipital notch to tip of mandible length is 87 cm; the length between mandibular rami,
28.5 cm. The brain is fully autolyzed; no samples of central nervous system tissues were
taken.
Substantially more flesh was removed from the right vs. left side prior to this exam.
There are extensive, diffuse patches of blood throughout the head. The narial passages
have multiple, mottled areas in the superficial mucosa. There are no discrete external
hemorrhagic areas in either mandible, however, discrete hemorrhagic regions are present in
the left, medial, intra-mandibular fat body and in adjacent tissues adhering to the ventral
surface of the pre-maxillaries.
The temporal bones (tympano-periotic complex) are normally positioned, and there is no
indication of overt fracture in the bony elements of the tympanic or periotic bullae. The
bone of the periotic bulla is slightly rugose, suggesting either a fully adult male or a prior
moderate inflammatory episode. The majority of the residual peribullar tissues are
poorly preserved and the residual tissues are unremarkable, considering their state of
preservation, with the following exceptions. The left peribullar cap has petechial
hemorrhagic areas. Blood is found on the medial periotic surface filling the left internal
auditory meatus and the facial nerve foramen. There is a similar deposition of blood in
the left round window niche. The cochlear aqueduct - remarkably - is relatively free of
blood, and in comparison to the female ear described above, the corpus cavernosum is
significantly less infiltrated. The right peribullar areas are unremarkable and the right ear
was left in situ.
The left ear was extracted, perfused with buffered formalin via the internal auditory canal
and round window and placed in buffered formalin in a sealed whirl pak.
14
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Findings:
As in the female reported above, the state of the head (necrotic and flensed) makes any
conclusion about trauma or disease equivocal. The dimensions and appearance of the
skull and temporal bones are consistent with an adult male of this species. There is no
overt evidence of fracture and deep bone bruising consistent with near blast trauma.
However, there is concern of a pressure induced trauma based on the well-defined
hemorrhagic region present in the left, medial, intra-mandibular fat bodies and in adjacent
premaxillary tissues. Depositions of this type are consistent with pressure dependent
trauma, including shock wave and because the fats are thought to be pinnal and tympanic
analogues, they may respond similarly (e.g. hemotympanum) to moderate or low blast
pressure zones or to exceptionally intense acoustic pressures. Were these hemorrhagic
areas simple lividity, similar depositions would be expected in adjacent lateral tissues as
well. The absence of attendant lateral hemorrhagic areas therefore raises the concern but
does not assure that the areas noted are the result of a specific insult. 
The smaller
hemorrhagic areas in the narial passages are consistent with this concern.
Pooling of blood in periotic apertures and mottling of the peribullar cap are suspicious but
consistent with post-mortem artifact. Given the differences in observations on the male
and female heads examined the CT examinations are likely to be worthwhile to determine
whether there are significant patterns of intracochlear blood, although findings are still
likely to be equivocal. As with the female noted above, the utility of histological analyses
of the ears from this animal are of questionable value at this point.
Summary:
Poor preservation/Extensive autolysis/Superficial narial mottling/Diffuse cranial
bruising/Discrete bruising Lt mandibular fats/Temporal bone bilateral inflammatory
changes/Peribullar petechiae Lt/IAM and FR niche clots
11.3. Specimen ID/sex: 14-Ze male 18 feet
Species: Ziphius cavirostris
Date of stranding: reported 20/03/00; presumed stranded 15/03/00
Location: Plane Crash Beach, G.B./26.35N/78.29W
Preliminary condition: Code 3-4/Dead-decaying
Analyses to date: field dissection
Tissue Dispositions: Bater unless otherwise noted
External meatus - formalin
Skin -frozen and DMSO
Blubber and parasite-formalin
Observations/other observers:
This animal was reported on the 20th after having been spotted in a fly-over by BMMS.
All observations noted below were photo-documented. D.R. Ketten, C. Potter, N.
Hauser, D. Nowacek, and H. Peckham attending.
15
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Observations/Ketten/Cranial/Temporal regions:
The animal was severely decayed but flesh was largely intact. It was found lying on its
left side, fully exposed, lying parallel to the tidal line, ventral surface seaward. The flesh
was taught, oozing, and clearly distended by post-mortem decay processes. Relatively
little scavenger activity had taken place, but there were multiple small fissures with mixed
exudate spread over the exposed surface. Because of its advanced state of decay, the
minimal personnel available, and coincident time constraints for flights to examine fresher
material, only the most superficial cranial exam was performed. Dr. Bater arrived near the
end of our preliminary exam and decided the tissue samples and observations listed below
were sufficient. The disposition of this carcass is unknown to me at the time of this
report.
Lateral diameter 41.5 cm.
Dorso-ventral diameter 69 cm.
Anterior insertion of right pectoral fin to mid pupil area of right eye 66 cm.
Anterior insertion of right pectoral fin to posterior limit of mouth 91 cm.
Mid-pupil point of eye to ventral field 37 cm.
Externally, the animal had moderate, diffuse patches of lividity. A dorso-ventral incision
of approximately 15 cm was made on the right side posterior to the external meatus. The
meatus was intact and unremarkable. The blubber in this area was heavily infested with
parasitic lightly calcified cysts which superficially resembled those of Phyllobotherium
spp.. These were photographed, and a 3 cm by 5 cm wedge of blubber with embedded
cysts was excised and placed in formalin. There is a mild purpling throughout visible
tissues and no evidence of discrete trauma sites. A second, orthogonal incision was made
along the jaw to expose the peribullar space and mandible. There was consistent, diffuse
blood in the superficial soft tissues in the exposed areas. The right tympano-periotic
bones were palpated and visually inspected. No overt abnormalities were found. The
mandible and peri-mandibular areas were unremarkable.
Findings:
Considering the advanced state of decomposition and cursory exam, little can be
concluded about this whale. There is no overt evidence of profound blast trauma.
Hemorrhagic areas are consistent with simple lividity and post-mortem decomposition.
Summary:
Advanced decomposition/Encysted subcutaneous parasites
11.4 Specimen ID/sex: 8-ZC male 16 feet total length
Species: Ziphius cavirostris
Date of stranding: reported 15/03/00 or 16/03/00; collected 17/03/00
Location: Water Cay in the Burrows Group/Abaco, Bahamas/26.26N/77.47W
Preliminary condition: Code 1-2/Live-fresh
Analyses to date: Field dissection/CT scans/Laboratory dissection
Tissue Dispositions:
16
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Two ears preserved in formalin-Ketten
Head/frozen - Ketten
All other tissues - Balcomb
Observations/ other observers:
March 15 @ time unknown, fishermen reported two 18 foot whales stranded in the
Burrows Group (26 26N 77 46W). Ken Balcomb flew over the island on March 16 and
saw a whale on shore at Water Cay in the Burrows Group, but none in the water. Later
information suggests the first two whales were both M densirostris that later escaped.
Therefore the exact time of stranding and death of the whale that was actually retrieved
near the same location is unknown. Ken Balcomb and Dave Ellifrit collected the head of a
male goose-beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) on 17 March, 2000. It had been mauled
by sharks; the dorsal fin, flippers and tail were missing, and it was partly exsanguinated.
The head was frozen on March 17, at 2000 hours local time.
Observations/Ketten/Cranial/Temporal regions:
All observations noted below were photo-documented, and the observations are based on
both the field dissection observations and on available CT data.
The partially thawed head of this specimen was dissected by D. Ketten with assistance
from D. Nowacek on March 21, beginning at 0900. The dissection was filmed by K.
Balcomb and H. Peckham. N. Hauser observed and kept field records for this document.
The total dissection time and exposure of the head to ambient air temperatures was
approximately 3 hours. The head was placed on a dissecting platform with the ventral
surface up. All tissues appeared to be in excellent condition. Following the extraction of
the temporal bone, the head was repackaged and refrozen.
The head was partially flensed but all soft tissues and peribullar tissues are intact. The
dissection began with a 5 cm lateral, longitudinal incision on the right side of the animal
adjacent to the external meatus. The incision exposed the fibrous sheath of the external
canal. The canal was bisected approximately 1 cm. medial to the surface in order to
examine the canal interior. The exposed segment showed two significant elements: there
was blood in the canal lumen and the walls of the meatal canal are well developed. The
inner lumen is moderately narrow and lined with conventional, pigmented epithelium.
Blood in the lumen was fresh and fluid. Surrounding this core is a distinct fatty layer
with a radius of approximately 2.7 mm. This is a unique and exceptional finding for
odontocetes that has important implications for ziphiid reception paths. The canal was
pursued medially and fully dissected. It tapered noticeably and appeared to terminate
several cm distal to the tympanic bulla. Segments of the canal were extracted and
preserved in formalin. The boundary tissues in some segments when injected with
formalin swelled and doubled in size, suggesting that this is cavernous tissue.
An anterior-posterior incision paralleling the mandible revealed a moderate amount of
bruising in the lateral mandibular fats. No similar hemorrhage was found in the soft
tissues on the medial face of the mandible. The mandible itself was normal with no
17
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
indication of hemorrhage or contusion, nor was there any evidence of prior fracture or
osteolytic processes.
The peribullar plexus of the right ear is well preserved and extensive. There is a moderate
but not exceptional effusion of the plexus. The corpus cavemosum has a deep burgundy
colouring, but it is unclear whether this is a normal condition for fresh tissue in this
species. As in most odontocetes, there is a posterior cartilaginous pad that is interposed
between the hyoids and the tympanic prominences. 
In this specimen, the cartilage is
clean with no evidence of contusion or hemorrhage.
Both Eustachian tubes were partially occluded by ice crystals. Each is 10 to 13 mm in
diameter and attaches to a sesamoid bone located immediately at the anterior tympanic
rim. The right bulla was opened. The middle ear ossicles are intact and normally
articulated. Coagulated blood occupied the round window niche but was easily dislodged
with gentle irrigation. The right periotic was firmly articulated with the squamosal and
the sutures had to be weakened with a sharpened chisel in order to free the periotic from
its peribullar sinus. The medial face of the periotic revealed intact and well-preserved
VIIth and VII~th cranial nerves. The neural apertures were filled with blood as were the
cochlear and vestibular aqueducts. The VIlIth nerve and round windows were injected
with formalin and the entire periotic was placed in buffered formalin.
The left ear and mandibular regions showed more extensive hemorrhagic changes. There is
a small, discrete contusion along the ventral surface of the left tympanic bone and
significantly more hemorrhagic areas in the perimandibular soft tissues. Primary areas of
hemorrhage extend along the ventral surface for 54 cm, from the tip of the rostrum will
into the intramandibular fats. Smaller areas of hemorrhage located close to the lateral
surface of the mandible were also noted. Like the right ear the peribullar regions,
particularly the medial surface had abundant evidence of retro and peribullar hemorrhage.
The left ear was extracted intact, injected via the round window and placed in buffered
formalin in a sealed whirl pak. The head was then bagged, sealed, and returned to a local
freezer.
Both the head and ears were delivered for scanning at MEEI, Boston on 30 March 2000.
The frozen head was transported in an insulated box by charter and commercial airlines
from Abaco to Boston on 30 March 2000 with a total transit time of 9 hours. On arrival
the specimen was transported by van to the scan facility of Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Scanning of this and all coincident specimens in the shipment took place over an 8 hour
period between 19:30 to 0300. During that time, the ears and head were removed from
the external container. The ears were transferred to formalin filled jars for their
protection; the head remained inside sealed plastic bags and was not scanned in this
session. There was no evidence of thawing of any tissues during the scan sessions.
Following scanning, the head was returned to the van, driven to WHOI, and placed in a -
20 degree C freezer where it currently remains in a locked body bag. The ears were
placed in new formalin the following day and are presently undergoing decalcification.
The ear specimens were scanned in an arbitrary plane using an ultra high resolution spiral
CT protocol with 0 degree gantry tilt. One mm acquisitions were obtained; submillimeter
images of the inner ear were reformatted at 0.1 mm increments from the 1 mm spiral data.
18
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Ultra-high resolution bone kernels were used for the inner ear images. 2D scan images,
histograms of intralabyrinthine attenuations for the inner ears, and 3D reconstructions of
target tissue segmentations were imaged and filmed.
The ears appear to be well-preserved with no evidence of freezer artifact. There is no
evidence of bullar fracture in the scans but there are extensive areas of intracochlear blood.
Attenuations consistent with fresh blood were observed bilaterally in the inner ear in the
majority of scala tympani, in the helicotrema, and in scala vestibuli adjacent to the hook
region. All cochlear apertures have external blood pools but the cochlear fenestrae are
intact. Intracochlear blood is evident in the cochlear aqueduct and in the perilymphatic
spaces and is most abundant in the basal turn. The auditory nerve canal is also well-
imaged, like the cochlear aqueduct, because of blood deposited in these spaces. 
The
trough evident in the inner ear canal reconstruction is coincident with an intact scala
media.
Findings:
The findings from scans are completely consistent with the dissection observations; i.e.
the ears are infiltrated with blood but the membranous compartments and super structure
are intact. The round and oval windows are also intact. In combination with relatively
limited hemorrhages in other head regions, the inner ear pathologies demonstrated on the
scans are most consistent with a mild concussive event and are similar to observed
pathology in ears exposed experimentally to exceptionally intense impulsive sources or
relatively distant or low charge weight blast events. The inner ear observations are also
consistent with a diathetic condition.
Summary: 
(See also laboratory dissection notes)
Good preservation/EAC hemorrhage/Discrete bruising Rt lateral mandibular fats/Retro
and Peribullar hemorrhages bilateral/IAM and FR clots/Bilateral intracochlear
blood/Intraductal blood bilateral/ Extensive hemorrhage Lt mandibular fats/
11.5 Specimen ID/sex: 12-Md male 11 feet total length
Species: Mesoplodon densirostris
Date of stranding: reported 16/03/00; presumed 15/03/00
Location: Cross Harbour Creek, Abaco (25 58N 77 16W)
Preliminary condition: Code 2/Dead-fresh
Analyses to date: CT scans
Tissue Dispositions:
Head/frozen - Ketten
All other tissues - Balcomb
Observations/other observers:
March 16, 2000, 1000 local time, an eleven foot, male, dense-beaked whale (Mesoplodon
densirostris) was found by Diane Claridge stranded dead in the mangrove lagoon of Cross
Harbour Creek, Abaco (25 58N 77 16W). The body was towed to a nearby beach and a
19
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
body cavity necropsy performed by BMMS personnel. The specimen was reported by
D. Claridge and K. Balcomb to be in an excellent state of preservation and was estimated
to have been dead less than twenty-four hours on sighting. If this conclusion is correct, it
is likely this whale died early on March 16. The body necropsy was photographed and
videotaped by K. Balcomb. The head was removed and placed in a conventional chest
freezer by 1730 local time, and the frozen head was transported by air to D. Ketten on 30
March 2000.
Observations/Ketten/Cranial/Temporal regions:
The frozen head was transported in an insulated box by charter and commercial airlines
from Abaco to Boston on 30 March 2000 with a total transit time of 9 hours. On arrival
the specimen was transported by van to the scan facility of Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Scanning of this and all coincident specimens in the shipment took place over an 8 hour
period between 19:30 to 0300. During that time, the head was removed from the external
container but remained inside two sealed plastic bags during scanning. There was no
evidence of thawing of any but the most superficial layers during the scan sessions.
Following scanning, the head was returned to the van, driven to WHOI, and placed in a -
20 degree C freezer where it currently remains in a locked body bag. All observations
noted below are based on the available CT data.
The specimen was scanned in the transaxial plane using an ultra high resolution spiral CT
protocol with 0 degree gantry tilt. 
Three and 1 mm acquisitions were obtained;
submillimeter images of the inner ear were reformatted at 0.1 mm increments from the 1
mm spiral data. Ultra-high resolution bone kernels were used for the inner ear images;
both conventional clinical soft-tissue and bone kernels were used for the brain and fluid
labyrinth imaging. 
2D scan images, histograms of intralabyrinthine attenuation
characteristics for the inner ears and subarachnoid areas, and 3D reconstructions of target
tissue segmentations were imaged and filmed.
The head is well-preserved with little evidence of freezer artifact. 
The brain is well
formed with no evidence of large or abnormal air pockets. The sulci and ventricles are
well defined and normal. The brain is centrally positioned and the subarachnoid areas are
clear with the exception of a discrete ovoid (54 by 41 mm) subarachnoid hemorrhage in
the left temporal fossa.
There is no evidence of any cranial fracture in the scans and no indication of other gross
hemorrhagic areas. The brain densities are normal bilaterally. The narial passages are clear
and aerated as are the sinus, oral cavity, Eustachian tubes, and middle ear spaces. There
are no scan indicators of gross hemorrhagic areas in the middle ear or peribullar spaces.
Blood was observed bilaterally in the inner ear and in the cochlear apertures.
Intracochlear blood is evident in the cochlear aqueduct and in the perilymphatic spaces
and is most abundant in the basal turn.
Findings:
20
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Based upon scan images, the head is in an excellent state of preservation. 
The lack of
overt fractures, particularly to the temporal bone, ossicles or other cranial regions,
suggests the animal was not subjected to an intense blast. The gross condition of the
tympano-periotic complex is consistent with a healthy adult ear. The presence of a
subarachnoid hemorrhage and the absence of pooled blood in other cranial fossa and
otherwise normal aerated spaces is significant. In particular, the position and containment
of the subarachnoid hemorrhagic and of the restriction of the clots to the dorsal surface of
the ventricles is not consistent with post-mortem pooling. The presence of intracochlear
blood and its dispersal pattern are also consistent with the subarachnoid hemorrhage and
suggest a cochlear aqueduct route, at least unilaterally, for deposition of blood into scala
tympani. This pattern of bleeding is consistent with a concussion derived from any
number of sources, including direct trauma, blast trauma, or impulsive noise, or explicitly
from any underwater source that mimics sonic boom insults. Similar patterns are also
observed in birth trauma and diathetic disease. The presence of blood in the contralateral
ear may result from the same conditions with or without a localized subarachnoid
hemorrhage; i.e., intracochlear bleeding has also been reported without concomitant
intracranial bleeding. Therefore, the CT results clearly demonstrate a hemorrhagic
condition that is likely to be an in vivo insult of traumatic origin (considering the age and
general condition of the animal and pending the body necropsy findings). However, while
these results are strongly suggestive of a pressure induced trauma, without further finer
grained histologic analyses, it is not possible to independently speculate on the required
characteristics of a source
Summary: 
(See also laboratory dissection notes)
Good preservation/Left subarachnoid hemorrhage/Clots bilateral lateral ventricles/Etbmoid
sinus hemorrhage/Minor hematomas narial plugs/Laryngeal bruising/Minor melon
contusions/Minor bruising Lt lateral mandibular fats/Extensive hemorrhage Rt mandibular
fats/Mandibular contusion Rt/Minor retrobullar hemorrhage Rt/Eustachian clots/Bilateral
intracochlear blood/Intraductal blood bilateral/
11.6 Specimen ID/sex: 13-Sf female 5 feet total length
Species: Stenellafrontalis
Date of stranding: reported 15/03/00
Location: Powell Cay, Abaco/(26.54N/77.29W)
Preliminary condition: Code 1-2/Live-Died under observation
Analyses to date: CT scans
Tissue Dispositions:
Whole body/frozen - Ketten
Serum, hemolyzed blood/frozen - Balcomb
Observations/other observers:
March 15, 2000, a five foot Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenellafrontalis) was reported
stranded alive at Powell Cay (26 54N 77 29W) at 0700 local time. Tourists kept the
21
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
dolphin moistened until Dr. Bater from Freeport, Grand Bahama and Diane Claridge
arrived around 1700. The entire post-mortem specimen was placed in a freezer at Sandy
Point, Abaco at 2000. Ken Balcomb and Diane Claridge transported the intact frozen
specimen to Boston for scanning by Dr. Ketten on 30 March, 2000.
Observations/Ketten/Cranial/Temporal regions:
The frozen intact animal was transported in an insulated box by charter and commercial
airlines from Abaco to Boston on 30 March 2000 with a total transit time of 9 hours. It
was transferred from the airport to MEEI for scanning immediately upon arrival.
Scanning of all three specimens in the shipment took place over an 8 hour period between
19:30, 30 March 2000 to 0300 31 March 2000. 
The animal was removed from the
primary carton but left inside sealed plastic bags during scanning. There was no evidence
of thawing of any but the most superficial layers during the scan and transport times.
Following scanning, the head was returned to the van, driven later that morning to WHOI,
where it was placed in a -20 degree C freezer. It is currently secured in a locked body bag
within the freezer.
The specimen was scanned in the transaxial plane using an ultra high resolution spiral CT
protocol with 0 degree gantry tilt. 
Three and 1 mm acquisitions were obtained;
submillimeter images of the inner ear were reformatted from the spiral data. 
Both
conventional clinical soft-tissue and bone kernels images sets reviewed were used for the
brain and auditory system assessments.
The head region is well-preserved with little evidence of freezer artifact. The body cavity
was not imaged at this time. The brain is well defined and normally configured. The
sulci, ventricles, and subarachnoid regions are well defined and normal.
There is no evidence of any fracture in the scans and no indication of gross hemorrhagic
areas. The narial passages are clear and well aerated as are the major sinuses and oral
cavity. In contrast to the previous structures, the peribullar and middle ear spaces are
occluded with mid to low density, mixed tissues. Because of the volume of tissue, the
substructure is difficult to differentiate in the scans. The attenuation values of the
occlusive tissues are consistent with mixed fats and mucosa, suggesting parasitic
nematodes in part or peribullar and corpus cavernosum distention of unknown origin.
The attenuations are not consistent with simple hemorrhage. The inner ear is normal and
patent.
Findings:
Based upon scan images, the animal is in an excellent state of preservation. 
There is no
evidence of blast or overt correlates with the previous specimens. 
The apparently
distended tissues resemble those seen in ears of animals with otitis media and/or a
moderate parasite burden but this must be considered speculation until a full necropsy
and ear dissection are completed. The gross condition of the tympano-periotic complex is
consistent with a healthy adult inner ear but hearing may have been compromised by
22
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
middle ear infection or immobilization of the ossicular chain if there is substantial
distention in the middle ear tissues.
Summary: 
(See also laboratory dissection notes)
Good preservation/Inflammatory changes sphenethmoid sinus/Retro-peri-bullar necrosis
bilateral/
23
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
II1. 
Madeira Archipelago; Strandings 10-12 May, 2000; Examinations 2-8
September, 2000
Study Overview
Bodies of 3 Ziphius cavirostris were examined post mortem by Dr. Luis Freitas and
his assistants following a mass stranding of animals reported 10-12 May 2000. The
reports (op cit) of those exams, written by Dr. Freitas, follow this summary of findings
by D. Ketten on the heads removed from two of these animals. A fourth animal was
reported floating in the Madeiran waters by fisherman but did not come ashore/
According to a verbal report from Dr. Freitas, two heads were taken, one intact, one
partially flensed and seared from a fire started by local residents in an attempt to dispose
of the whale. The better preserved head, referenced in Dr. Freitas's report as "second
reported stranded", was examined with CT and gross dissection. The charred head (sex
and age unknown) was examined only by gross observation.
Several observations on these beaked whales are consistent with the findings on the
Bahamian specimens. In particular, blood in and around the eyes, kidney lesions, pleural
hemorrhage, lung congestion, and in the one preserved head, subarachnoid and ventricular
hemorrhages, were found which are consistent with Bahamian pathologies that are
consistent with stress and pressure related trauma. The coincidence of pathology and the
stranding patterns in both sites raises the concern that a similar pressure event
precipitated or contributed to strandings in both sites.
111.1 Ziphius cavirostris 410 cm, subadult female
ID Second reported.
Stranding estimated 14 May, 2000; Beach necropsy, 15 May, 2000; Head exam 5-8
September, 2000
The head was removed from this animal as described in the appended report by Dr.
Freitas. After removal, it was transported to Madeira to Dr. Freitas's stranding and
necropsy facility in Canigal and stored, frozen, in a sealed bag at -20 degrees C. 
On 6
September, the day of the scan exam, the head was removed from the freezer by L. Freitas
and D. Ketten and placed outdoors on a concrete surface for basic photography and gross
observation. Overtly, the head showed moderate lividity and generally good preservation
for a code 3 specimen. Explicit details on the external condition are included in the gross
necropsy findings below.
In the early evening the head was rebagged and transported by car to a private medical
facility, Clinica Santa Lucia, Funchal, Madeira. Computerized tomographic (TAC) scans
were performed by technologists Luisa Gouveia and Alcindo Andrade of the clinic,
working under the supervision of Dr. Jose Franco, M.D., the neuroradiologist in charge of
the facility. Parameters for scanning were set in consultation with Dr. Ketten. Dr. Luis
Freitas and two veterinarians, Dra. Nelida Aguicir and Dra. Isabel Quaresma were in
attendance.
24
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
The scanner employed is a GR Sytec Sri with spiral and contiguous modes. Scans were
obtained with a spiral protocol and imaged in bone format at 5 mm. increments through
the entire head and at 3mm increments for positions -224 through -264, which comprise
the temporal bone regions. 
The clinic personnel were extremely cooperative and
enthusiastic through all phases of the scanning and very willing to assist with this exam.
The scans show no evidence of blunt trauma; i.e., no major fractures or displacements
were found. The cranial sinuses and airways are clear with little or no fluid deposition,
indicating reasonable preservation of tissues. The brain is in moderate condition,
consistent with the post-mortem time but most regions, including the ventricles, can be
distinguished and the dural boundaries are clearly demarcated. There are two distinct
pathologies: bilateral subarachnoid hemorrhages and frank blood in the left ventricle. The
SAH are nearly symmetrical and well-defined (Fig. 3).
Figure 3. Bilateral subarachnoid hemorrhage in Ziphius cavirostris, stranded May, 2000,
Madeira.
The scans show also a shadowing of the cochlear canal that is consistent with an
abnormally high intracochlear density, but it is not possible to state with assurance from a
3 mm scan whether the increased densities over normal represent blood, fibrous tissue or
some other moderate density intracanal inclusion. Similarly, the internal auditory canals
25
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
contain increased density tissue but it cannot be stated from these scans whether they
represent blood or other tissues in addition to normal neural loads. Both middle ears had
normal cavernous tissues and ossicular configurations with one notable abnormality; i.e.,
the right malleal joint was displaced. Following the scans the head was transported to the
dissection facility of Instituto Oceanografico in Funchal, where it was left with partial
insulation and water to allow a slow thaw overnight for further dissection. Periodic
checks were performed by the facility guard overnight to assure the maintenance of the
room temperature..
The head necropsy was performed by Dr. Ketten, Dr. Freitas, Dra. Aguicir, and Dra.
Quaresma on 7 Sept. 2000. Overtly the head has partial loss of the epidermis, consistent
with post-mortem necrosis and transport abrasions. There is a notable swelling of the left
periocular tissues with pockets of fluid. The right eye area is superficially normal. No
teeth are in evidence, which is normal for a female of this species. There were moderate
numbers of encysted parasites in the subcutaneous blubber, which is common in this
species and a general diffuse lividity but no remarkable external bruises. 
Basic
measurements were as follows: dorso-ventral occipital axis 48.7 cm; lateral axis, 43.4 cm.;
occiput diameter, 13.7 cm; occiput to rostral tip, 77.3 cm;
The dissection was begun with an exploration of the right side of the head. 
A
parasagittal incision paralleling the longitudinal axis of the jaw showed no external fat
abnormalities other than normal lividity for this code. The underlying blubber, muscle
and lateral jaw fats are normal. Mandibular length was 64 cm. The inner jaw fat was
exposed by a ventral incision, revealing a lcm diameter hematoma spreading medially
from the pan bone area in the posterior flange of the jaw. Medial and anterior muscle
bundles were friable with multiple hemorrhagic sites. The right tympanic was normal,
externally but surrounded by small (3-5 mm) clots. These clots were densest in the
medial or retrobullar space. The tympanic was removed by opening the posterior
tympano-periotic suture. The middle ear corpus cavernosum was moderately distended
on the medial side. 
The remainder was normal in appearance with no notable
discoloration. The malleus and incus were disarticulated, however the incudo-stapedial
articulation was intact and the stapes was in place in the oval window. This is consistent
with the scan observation and not a result of opening the tympanic. The round window
was intact with a distinct clot on its intracochlear face. The window was opened with a
22 gauge needle, some portion of the internal fluid withdrawn, and the inner ear was then
irrigated with buffered formalin. The VIIth nerve was intact but heavily stained,
suggesting blood deposition in the ganglionic spaces and internal auditory canal. No
substantial peribullar or intrabullar parasites were noted.
The left ear presented a similar pattern although no clear, extensive hemorrhages of the
fats were observed. There was more diffuse lividity on this side, however, which
complicates any interpretation for pathologies on the left. The left ear presented a similar
pattern of peribullar clotting. The middle ear was normal with no overt pathologies. The
ossicular articulations were intact. Blood was noted behind the round window and in the
IAC. Both ears were extracted and preserved in buffered formalin with the intention to
26
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
ship to Dr. Ketten for further examination, pending award of a CITES export permit to
Dr. Freitas.
The right and left eyes both have periorbital staining and surrounding ring hemorrhages.
The left eye has contusions distributed primarily superiorly, anteriorly and ventrally.
Underlying tissues of the peribullar spaces are normal.
The melon and narial areas were normal with some moderate superficial staining
consistent with post mortem necroses and lividity.
The dorso-posterior surfaces of the skull were removed with a Stryker saw. The brain
was in poor condition and ventricle status could not be confirmed. The sub arachnoid
spaces were compromised bilaterally with distinct clots and bloody deposits, consistent
with the scan observations; however, because of decomposition, their precise extent could
not be determined.
Conclusions:
The eye abnormalities and pattern of peribullar and ocular hemorrhages are remarkably
consistent with the observations noted for the Bahamian strandings. Some of the eye
pathology can certainly be attributed to post-mortem migration, necroses, and lividity,
however the ear findings and intracranial hemorrhage pattern are fairly robust and
consistent with auditory trauma suites observed in the Bahamian strandings as well as in
the relevant experimental literature. The presence of this suite in these animals in
conjunction with multiple simultaneous strandings of adult and subadult animals that do
not have other postcranial pathologies or evidence of debilitation strongly suggests a
phenomenon similar to the Bahamian incident.
Summary
Fair preservation/EAC hemorrhage/Discrete bruising Rt inner mandibular fats/Retro and
Peribullar hemorrhages bilateral/IAM and FR clots rt. ear/Bilateral intracochlear blood/
Extensive hemorrhage bilaterally in subarachnoid space
111.2 430 cm estimated; age/sex unknown,
This skull was immolated by nearby residents and has undergone active insect and larval
activity. No overt soft tissues remain. The residual bone is blackened with soot and
sutures are compromised. Some laminar surfaces have separated. 
There is no overt
indication of blunt trauma, but no further observations to determine or rule out more
subtle trauma were possible. It was decided that scanning and ear extractions were not
warranted and the skull will instead be prepared as an osteologic exhibit.
Summary
jaw absent, moderate assymetry of skull, presumed subadult male/ skull suture
separations consistent with heat contractions/
27
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
HI Appendix
Report appended as forwarded by Dr. Luis Freitas, Madeira Grande
Beach Necropsy Observations
FIRST REPORTED STRANDING
CODE: AR.O.00.2
SPECIES: ZIPHIUS CAVIROSTRIS
STRANDING DATE: 10.05.2000
NECROPSYDATE: 11.05.2000
NECROPSYLOCATION: Porto Santo garbage dumping site
PLACE OF STRANDING: South coast of Porto Santo Island.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRANDING SITE: sandy beach
ESTIMATED DATE OF DEATH between 9 and 10.05.2000
ANIMAL CONDITION: Starting decomposition. it had several wounds at the skin caused
by handling
ANIMAL LENGTH: 380 cm
AGE: sub-adult (did not have teeth)
SEX: male
The animal was collected by the local authorities (maritime police) and transported to
Porto Santo garbage dumping site.
OBSERVATIONS DURING NECROPSY
Animal presented several marks and wounds caused by being handled by an escavator.
These marks and wounds were well identified. No marks or wounds of other origin or of
unknown origin were observed. The animal stayed dry around 24 hours. The eyes were
filled with blood.
THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE INSIDE THE BODY:
Macroscopic lesions: bloody liquid (2 to 3 liters) in the pleural cavity, pulmonary linfatic
nodes slitly swollen. The lungs looked normal. (left lung 3,026kg ; right lung 3,096Kg).
Presence of parasites in the kidneys.
Microscopic lesions:
Left lung with lesions from pneumonia. Right lung: first sample had edema and
congestion; second sample lesions from pneumonia; liver with a congested area. No other
lesions were observed;
kidneys with hemorragic congestion
Microbiology: the following microorganisms were isolate:
lungs- Vibrio damsela;
Pulmonary linfatic nodes - no pathogenic agents were isolated;
28
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Cardiac blood - Pasteurella spp+ Providencia stuartii + providencia rettgeni+Pasteurella
ureae + E. coli . (it was not possible to properly desinfect (by burning with a very hot
object the surface of theleft ventricule) due to the strong winds felt at the place were the
necropsy was performed. We tried to clean with alcool but it was not enough.
Kidneys - no pathogenic agents were isolated;
Liver - no pathogenic agents were isolated;
It was not possible to take to Madeira the head of the animal and preserve it.
SECOND REPORTED STRANDING
CODE: AR.O.00.3
SPECIES: ZIPHIUS CAVIROSTRIS
ANIMAL FOUND: 13.05.2000
NECROPSY DATE: 14.05.2000
NECROPSYLOCATION." Sandy beach located in the East coast of Porto Santo
PLACE OF STRANDING: Northeast of Porto Santo Island.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRANDING SITE: rocky beach (pebbles) with a barrier of
rockout crops just at the entrance of the beach. The animal was laying on its left side.
ESTIMATED DATE OF DEATH: more than 4 days before necropsy day.
ANIMAL CONDITION: moderate decomposition; body swollen; smelling
ANIMAL LENGTH: 410cm
SEX.- female
AGE: sub-adult (no corpo lutea were observed in the gonads)
The animal was pulled away from the beach. It was stranded in a rocky platform at the
sea level. The animal was towed afloat to a sandy beach south of the stranding place with
the minimum conditions for a necropsy to be performed. The animal was stranded at this
sandy beach at high tide and we worked on it as the tide fell.
OBSERVATIONS DURING NECROPSY
Animal the left side completely white. The skin had been removed by the contact of the
animal with the rocky platform at the stranding site. The right side presented several
superficial wounds and scratches that were possibly caused by the stranding. The
genitalia and anus slits were protruded. At the pectoral fin area it was observed
heamatoma, indicating the animal may have stranded alive.
THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE INSIDE THE BODY:
Macroscopic lesions: bloody liquid (1 to 2 liters) in the pleural cavity, pulmonary linfatic
nodes normal. Small purulent nodules in a small area of the lungs. Presence of parasites in
the lungs.
Microscopic lesions:
lung with pneumonia. At the alveoli level parasites larvae were observed.
Other organs in decomposition. No histopathologic exame conclusive.
29
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
Microbiology: no samples were collected due to the advanced state of organs
decomposition.
The animals head was collected and frozen.
THIRD REPORTED STRANDING
CODE: AR.O.00.4
SPECIES: ZIPHIUS CAVIROSTRIS (subject to confirmation)
ANIMAL FOUND: 14.05.2000
NECROPSY DATE: we were informed the animal had stranded on the 27.05.2000. It was
only possible to observe it on the 30.05.2000
NECROPSY LOCATION: it was not performed
PLACE OF STRANDING: Calhau da rocha do Navio. North of Madeira Island, facing
Porto Santo Island.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRANDING SITE: Pebble beach.
ESTIMA TED DATE OF DEA TH. indetermined
ANIMAL CONDITION: The animal was set on fire by some local people in an attempt to
stop the smell. as expected it actually increased it.
ANIMAL LENGTH: 430cm (estimated) probably bigger
SEX.: indetermined
AGE: indetermined
The skull was collected. The animal had been sited at sea previously it stranded by some
fishermen.The jaws had been removed at sea before stranding according to some local.
There is only one record of stranding of an animal of this species in the past at Madeira
archipelago. It was in 1999.
30
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
IV. Puerto Rico, 2002
re: NEPST838 
M 
Mesoplodon densirostris
WHOI Case Number: NEPST838/12apr02/Puerto Rico
Imaging Analysis Requested by: Dr. Teri Rowles; Dr. Janet Whaley; NOAA
Fisheries
Scan date: 12 April, 2002
Scan technician(s): J. Arruda; S. Marsh
Scan Analyses: D.R. Ketten
Report Date: 15 April, 2002
History
NOTE: All information in this section is based on telephone or faxed information
provided to this office. Report times and conditions may therefore vary from information
provided by other related incident reports.
This animal was first reported to the WHOI office on 10 April, 2002 by the SE
stranding coordinator, Jenny Lutz, who was notified originally by Dr. Antonio Mignucci
of the Caribbean Stranding Network during the afternoon of 10 April. Dr. Ketten spoke
directly with Dr. Mignucci at 1900 on 10 April, requesting photo-documentation and
information on exam procedures for the thoracic and abdominal tissues as well as
instructions for the removal, preservation, and shipment of the head.
Dr. Mignucci stated that the animal was located at Dorado, on the main island of
Puerto Rico. He and a team from the Caribbean Stranding Network performed the
necropsy on site at Dorado on 10 April. 
The animal was reported verbally as
approximately 800 lbs., lying on its right side, with evident fractures, and graded as a
Code 3 with moderate decomposition. According to Dr. Mignucci, the animal washed
ashore in a rocky area and was battered repeatedly through wave action.
The head was removed the night of 11 April and placed in a conventional freezer;
temperature and timing were not specified. Sarah Marsh at WHOI arranged shipping of a
body bag, plastic bags and padding to be delivered by early AM to Dr. Mignucci's lab at
his request for their use in shipping the head to WHOI. He was also given the Ketten
Laboratory Fed-Ex account number to pay for shipping costs. 
The specimen
(approximately 35 kg.) was shipped via Fed-Ex, overnight priority, on 11 April and
received at WHOI in the Ketten lab before noon, 12 April, 2002. It was scanned and
placed in the Ketten lab -200C freezer by 1400 on 12 April. Scans were shipped to D.
Ketten in DC via Fed-Ex for this analysis. Therefore, observations are limited to scan
based observations at this time. A faxed copy of the CSN necropsy report has also been
received and notations from it incorporated where appropriate.
General Observations
The head is intact, decapitated at the occiput. There is a mid-ventral cut extending
approximately 134 mm. posterior to anterior. A portion of the dorsal blubber layer from
the posterior to mid-cranial areas was removed before shipping. Margins of this tissue
region are relatively clean suggesting it was sampled rather than traumatically removed.
31
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
The remainder of the skin appears intact, however the interior tissues have a generally
unhealthy, decomposed appearance suggesting moderate post-mortem time consistent
with the Code 3 designation by CSN (see details below by anatomical region). Bright
signals that appear on the surface of the animal are likely to be sand or other similar
material
Cranial Soft Tissues
All soft tissues of the head are in relatively poor condition based on extensive
separation of tissue layers and multiple air pockets distributed throughout the head.
The soft tissue scans indicate a broad area of contusion evident as a gray shadowing in
the blubber layer that extends from the mid-rostral region posteriorly and bilaterally.
Based on the scans, the coherent contusion field is a trapezoid oriented with the broad
base posteriorly, covering primarily the ventral surface, with lateral wings wrapping
upward towards the posterior head regions. On the left side, sand and soil (bright signal
areas) are embedded in the skin adjacent to the contused area.
The soft-walled narial passages are poorly defined.
There are extensive air pockets that dissect the blubber-musculature interface and
compromise tissues throughout the entire head. Notable air pockets are present on the
left side of the anterior melon, sublingually on the right, and near the right intramandibular
tusk. There are anomalous and extensive air pockets adjacent to the medial surface of the
intramandibular fat bundles bilaterally.
Sinuses are normal with good pneumatization. The mucosa is normal; there are no
significant depositions of fluids in any sinus cavity.
The melon has a uniform attenuation, suggesting moderate decomposition although it
retains a fundamentally fatty attenuation signature.
Skull
There are extensive mandibular fractures bilaterally.
On the left side, there are two complete transverse fractures. One is located anterior
to the tooth bulge; the second occurs approximately two-thirds the length from the
anterior mandibular symphysis (SP 264.5-270.5). The second left mandibular fracture
involves a region extending from SP 352.5 to 546.5. In effect, the posterior third of the
left mandible is compromised by compound fractures with multiple areas of bone
displacement and loss. The mandibular segment delimited by the anterior transverse and
posterior complex fractures is displaced laterally. Subsections of the displaced lateral
wall are oriented orthogonal to the normal vertical plane of the mandibular shaft and
project outward, cutting into the overlying fats and musculature (SP 388.5-404.5).
Lighter gray areas near the projecting bone shards represent mixed emulsified tissues and
blood. In several regions, a track of compromised tissue can be seen extending to the
surface of the head from the lateral edges of larger bony spicules. The extent and shape of
the affected soft tissues suggest that the shards may have moved repeatedly through in
the overlying tissue bed and were not simply displaced in a single motion.
The right mandible has mixed transverse and longitudinal fractures located nearly
parallel to the posterior fracture region noted on the left. There are two substantial
32
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
transverse fractures of the right mandible interconnected by secondary longitudinal
fractures creating two stepwise breaks in the posterior third of the mandibular ramus.
The inferior margin of the pan bone is fractured bilaterally with smaller elements
displaced medially and embedded in the surrounding musculature.
There is a minor fracture of the premaxillary bones with a displaced fragment.
All other skull elements are normal.
Two intact, well-enameled teeth are evident buried in the mandible (SP 246.5-282.5),
suggesting this is an immature male.
Brain
There is no evidence of hemorrhage or contusion in any brain region and no deposition
of blood or other abnormal fluids in the subarachnoid and subdural spaces. Meningeal
suspensory fibers and vessel tracks are visible traversing the subarachnoid spaces.
There is little differentiation of the cortical layers in the soft tissue scans, suggesting
moderate to severe autolysis.
Ventricular inflation is within normal ranges bilaterally; the spaces are well defined
and slightly larger on the right side compared to the left.
Eyes
Optic Nerve
Optic nerves are intact but weakly structured in that there are large, distinctive spaces
within the neural bundle. The optic nerve conventionally appears as a coherent bundle.
Therefore being able to visualize distinct fiber groups suggests that some neural fibers are
disrupted or degenerated.
Globe
The left globe is collapsed. The lens is displaced ventrally in both eyes (SP 484.5-
500.5). There is little differentiation of the external and internal regions of the globe
bilaterally indicating that both eyes are seriously compromised and possibly hemorrhagic.
Periocular Region
The orbital musculature is degenerated.
Ears
IAC/Acousto-Vestibular/Facial Nerve
The internal auditory canals are well defined. There is no evidence of blood or other
abnormal material within either IAC. VIIth and VIIth nerves are intact bilaterally and
well defined. As noted above for the optic nerve, separate, distinct fiber bundles are
evident, suggesting that some fiber loss has occurred.
Middle Ear
The middle ear cavities are normal with distinct middle ear air spaces bilaterally and a
distinct corpus cavernosum. All ossicles are intact and normally configured bilaterally.
Neither stapes is displaced from the oval window (SP 548-552); the round window is
normal bilaterally. The retrobullar and peribullar spaces are normal bilaterally with good
pneumatization and no evidence of sero-sanguinous deposits.
Inner Ear
33
Ketten, D.R. - Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings, 20/Dec/05
The canals are symmetrical and normal in appearance. There is no evidence in these
scans of abnormal intracochlear blood or other cochlear compromise, however,
submillimeter images are required to confirm this observation.
Other Significant Features
No additional notations
Summary
Extensive fractures of the mandible, with minor fractures in the maxillary and
premaxillary bones. Contusions in the subcutaneous fats in the latero-ventral regions of
the head. Extensive pneumatized areas throughout the extracranial soft tissues, consistent
with postmortem autolysis. Fiber loss in cranial nerves consistent with post-mortem
decomposition. 
Poor differentiation of CNS features consistent with postmortem
autolysis
Cause of Death
Indeterminate: Cause of death cannot be determined from the scan-based information
available to date.
Additional Comments
Two issues raised by the CSN report need to be clarified. The first is whether this
animal has evidence of blast trauma. The second is whether it was alive within 24 hours
of the necropsy.
It cannot be determined without direct examination whether the fractures evident in
the scans occurred pre, peri, or post mortem. To address this issue requires a full head
necropsy.
Based on the scan images, blast effects can neither be confirmed nor denied. The jaw
fractures and subcutaneous contusions that are present are consistent with shock wave
effects from a blast, but they are also consistent with many other potential sources of
blunt trauma.
Were these fractures the result of a blast, it would require exposure to a relatively high
psi. Other tissue conditions are not consistent with blast exposures with high pressures.
Based on the scans, the ears are essentially normal and the brain has no abnormal findings
with the possible exception of moderate inflation of the right ventricle. 
Lung, liver,
kidney, and intestines as described in the CSN necropsy report are essentially free of any
injuries consistent with blast.
According to the CSN report, initial observers of this animal believed it to be alive on
10 April, however this is inconsistent with the head's soft tissue appearance. The head
tissue condition is far more degraded than is typical of a relatively fresh animal. 
The
assumption that it was alive on the day preceding the necropsy is based on the
observation of motion of the body. Because this animal beached on a rocky shore with
substantial waves, the possibility that the body motion was the result of movement of a
buoyant carcass coupled with wave action should be considered.
34
50272-101
REPORT DOCUMENTATION 
1. REPORT NO. 
2. 
3. Recipient's Accession No.
PAGE 
WHOI-2005-09 
1
4. Title and Subtitle 
5. Report Date
Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings for Strandings in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, 
November 2005
and Madeira, 1999-2002 
6.
7. Authors)Darlene R. Ketten 
8. Performing organization Rept. No.
WHOI-2005-09
9. Performing Organization Name and Address 
10. Project/Task/Work Unit No.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 
11. Contract(C) or Grant(G) No.
Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 
(c) N0000140010284
(G) 44221200
12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 
13. Type of Report & Period Covered
Office of Naval Research 
Technical Report
14.
15. Supplementary Notes
This report should be cited as: Woods Hole Oceanog. Inst. Tech. Rept., WHOI-2005-09.
16. Abstract (Limit: 200 words)
Necropsy and histologic findings for examinations performed on beaked whales stranding between October,
1999 and June, 2002 are summarized and the finding interpreted. They are presented in chronological order of
exams and comprise strandings from the following areas: I. Puerto Rican collections from Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rican waters, 1999-2000 11. Northern Bahamas III. Madeira IV. Puerto Rico coastal, 2002.
17. Document Analysis 
a. Descriptors
beaked whales
trauma
necropsy
b. Identifiers/Open-Ended Terms
c. COSATI Field/Group
18. Availability Statement 
19. Security Class (This Report) 
21. No. of Pages
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 
UNCLASSIFIED 
38
20. Security Class (This Page) 
22. Price
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