Whale of a tale

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michael Russell
  • 611th Air Support Squadron
EARECKSON AIR STATION, Alaska --  Nestled on an eight-square mile windswept island of tundra and volcanic rock, Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, Alaska, is home to about 120 people from Chugach McKinley Inc., a Department of Defense base operations support contractor, and a number of other tenant organizations and their personnel. Shemya is home to numerous DOD missions critical to the defense of North America. It is truly a "remote" site, and is far from your average Air Force location. The Eareckson AS base operation's support is maintained by the 611th Air Support Group. 

Much like the rest of Alaska, it has its share of unique occurrences. Along with the normal duties and goings on at the station, the island recently contended with a 48-foot long deceased male Sperm Whale which washed onto the north beach on the western end of Shemya Island July 27. 

Once it was ashore and reported to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, Rick and Dawn Sexton, two physicians' assistants from Beacon Occupational Health and Safety Services, stationed on Shemya, and a handful of other CMI personnel were asked to collect tissue and tooth samples from the whale. 

The employees gathered the left eye, 12 square inches of skin and blubber, and 10 teeth to support NOAA's research program after special authorization was obtained to remove these materials. Since Sperm Whales and their remains are protected by the Endangered Species Act, no private individual can own any part of these whales. 

No significant signs of injury were found on the whale and the cause of death is still unknown, but the samples will be used to study the animal over the next several weeks and help determine its actual age and cause of death. 

Sperm Whales are deep divers and live predominantly in areas where giant squid, their favorite food, are found. The whale that washed ashore on Shemya may have been living and dining in and around the Aleutian Trench, just 50 miles from Shemya, when it died. 

Prevailing North Pacific currents wash all sorts of marine objects onto the shores of Shemya on a relatively regular basis. In the past, these objects have included pieces of fishing nets and vessels, barges, and whales. To the best anyone can recall, this whale is as large as one of two other sperm whales that have washed ashore since 1986. The most recent whale that beached on Shemya was a little smaller than an average male, 49-59 feet, and thus may have been less than 40 years old, about the age male sperm whales stop growing. 

Studies on Sperm Whales have documented their abilities to dive as deep as 10,000 feet, remain underwater for 90 minutes or more, and cruise their ocean environment at up to 23 mph. Sperm Whales are the largest living toothed-mammal on earth and can live up to 80 years. 

Currently, the Air Force is seeking permits to display a few of the teeth at the Elmendorf Air Force Base Wildlife Museum, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum, and Eareckson Air Station.