Research Article
Report on 14 Large Whales That Died due to Ship Strikes off the Coast of Sri Lanka, 2010–2014
Table 1
Recorded ship strikes between whales and vessels.
| | Record number | Date | ID (species) | Location | Carcass condition code | Sex | Length | Remark |
| | (1) | 22/07/2010 | Blue whale | Hikkaduwa | 3 | F | 22 M | Lesion on rostrum and the lower jaw was damaged | | (2) | 17/09/2010 | Blue whale | Mount Lavinia | 3 | F | 19.5 M | Damaged vertebrae | | (3) | 7/3/2010 | Baleen whale | Kahawa | 4 | U | — | In an advanced state of decomposition | | (4) | 28/08/2010 | Blue whale | Kahawa/Seenigama | 3 | U | 21 M | Severed in half (necropsy performed) | | (5) | 27/09/2010 | Great sperm whale | Pinwatta | 5 | F | 7 M | Lesion on caudal peduncle. The carcass was mummified | | (6) | 17/10/2010 | Blue whale | Chilaw | 4 | U | 20.8 M | Damaged rostrum | | (7) | 4/7/2011 | Bryde’s whale | Uswetakeiyawa | 2 | U | 14.8 M | Part of the fluke missing with a clear lesion | | (8) | 8/1/2011 | Great sperm whale | Payagala | 2 | F | 9.14 M | Damaged vertebrae (necropsy performed) | | (9) | 17/01/2011 | Cuvier’s beaked whale | Batticaloa | 2 | F | 5.48 M | Damaged vertebrae (necropsy performed) | | (10) | 24/11/2011 | Blue whale | Matara | 3 | U | 19 M | The vertebrae were severely damaged | | (11) | 20/03/2012 | Blue whale | Colombo Harbour | 2 | U | — | Draped on the bow of a ship | | (12) | 2/4/2012 | Blue whale | Mirissa | 2 | U | — | Floating out at sea with a cut on the caudal peduncle | | (13) | 23/09/2012 | Blue whale | Wellamadama | 2 | F | 15 M | Signs of blunt trauma aft the dorsal fin | | (14) | 23/09/2012 | Blue whale | Wellamadama | 2 | M | 7.3 M | Signs of blunt trauma before the dorsal fin |
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Carcass condition code: 1: alive, 2: fresh dead, 3: moderate decomposition, 4: severe decomposition, 5: mummified/skeletal. Sex code: M: male, F: female, U: unidentified.
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