The dead, stinking humpback whale that lay near Gloucester Point for several days has been towed away, free of charge, by the marine assistance company Sea Tow.
The Lower Chesapeake branch of the company pulled the whale about two miles across the York River to a cove in the uninhabited Goodwin Islands, where it was anchored. The move took place at high tide on Wednesday morning, around 7:14.
Alex White, one of the owner operators, said they decided not to charge for the 30-minute tow.
“We felt like it was a good thing to do, under the circumstances,” White said. “I got downwind of it a couple of times and it did not smell good.”
Residents of the area around the mouth of the Perrin River, where the whale stranded over the weekend, had put up with the stench while cash-strapped state officials tried to figure out who would pay to get rid of it.
Dead whales wash up on area beaches a few times each year, but it is unusual for one to float across the Chesapeake Bay and wind up in a river marsh. The Virginia Aquarium will try to conduct a necropsy on the whale to see if a cause of death can be determined.
Pilot staffers Brian J. Clark and Cindy Clayton contributed to this report.
Diane Tennant, (757) 446-2478, diane.tennant@pilotonline.com
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Thank God
We didn't have to look to the government to get this done. Two months to hire a consultant to determine the scope of the job, 3 months for the consultant to report back their findings, 3 months for the bidding process to include a woman or minority owned tow company, another month for the selected company to submit their tow plan to the EPA for approval, 2 months for the EPA to respond. A circuit court injunction by PETA to force a proper, respectful burial at sea...The poor whale would be compost by then, and Deeds and McDonnel would be blaming each other in their campaign ads.
Business Serving the Community
Great to see a business step in and take care of the issue. Way to go SeaTow!! Businesses get things done, politicians talk about getting things done.
Crab food
The carcass should be towed out to an area that has just a few crabs and blown apart. Let Mother Nature do the rest. It would bring more crabs and other sea life into that part of the Bay.
Maybe VDOT is smarter
Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_t44siFyb4
rick
I am quite sure that the disposal of this whale took more than a $20 rope and just a 20 foot boat. The whale weighed approx 20 tons and IF you don't like what the pilot is reporting about...log off....don't read.
Thanks Pilot!!
Really???
Well if it took more then where was the additional resources needed? Video shows it all. 1 20 foot boat, 1 rope, 1 guy hooking it up. End of problem. If you've got something to prove your theory of much more, please enlighten us would you?
Public vs. Private solution
'Nuff said.
whale
Maybe we can melt the blubber and generate steam to make some green electricity. Take it to the beach in front of greenies, those boys will take care of it. Cut it up and use it for crab pot bait.
whale meat again!
This comment came from recycled material.
Bravo Zulu, Sea Tow
Good job, Sea Tow --- this had to be a heck of a lot more interesting than picking up boaters who can't read their gas gauges, or forget to check their oil. Maybe you could sell the USCG or Game and Inland Fisheries an annual contract to handle these situations in the future...
Actually, they found out
Actually, they found out that it was Rosie O'Donnell.
The removal looked straight
The removal looked straight forward and simple enough, what was all the fuss about?
Exactly !
What was all the fuss about? They acted like they were raising the Titanic or something. Why does even the simplest thing have to be turned into some major ordeal? A $20 tow rope from Northern, a 20 ft boat and a guy in waders. Big deal. Still I would love to see the final bill for it. Maybe the Pilot can find out.
Whale Towing
Sorry about the poor whale's demise but nice to see resolution happening. Thanks Pilot for the cool photo's.
Sell it to the Japanese.
Sell it to the Japanese.
Good Work
Great to see all those involved come up with a practical, sensible, direct, and quick way of dealing with this situation. Nice to see that the American 'Can Do' attitude is still alive and well.
Good work!
Dynamite! Although I've
Dynamite! Although I've heard from people that have witnessed use of explosives in similar situations that you really need to stand back far away.
How about the Air Force?
JDAM would take care of it. o_O
Good for Game and Inland Fisheries
The Coast Guard might not see it as a hazard to navigation now, but I bet it was a hazard before it got stuck in the marsh - and I bet it will be again if we have any unusually high tides. One would think, considering the tight budgets of the states right now, the feds (Coast Guard, Navy, NOAA or whoever has the means - assuming any do) could step in and lend a hand (or a big boat). Dave Whitehurst and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries should be commended for their willingness to try and take care of this, despite squeaking wallets.
Sure would......
....like to know where the folks setting crab pots near the islands will be selling their catch. About a week after the carcass is anchored there, the crabs harvested nearby are going to be delicious.