Orca - Baleshare / Baile Sear update.

It’s good to have some follow up news on the killer whale that we found on Baleshare / Baile Sear on North Uist  last summer – see 13.08.14 on my blog – thanks to the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme.  He was a sub-adult ( 1900kg ; 602cm)  and was not thought to be one of the west coast of Scotland community – he was a mackerel and herring feeder – so it is more likely to be from offshore (Norway, Iceland, Northern Scotland) – DNA is likely to confirm this. He died of pneumonia. Sadly, his stomach content included some squid beaks, packing strap fragments; a long line hook; monofilament bundle; black polythene sheeting – possibly from silage wrap and other fishing hooks. We were so privileged to have found him.