Day 30. Sperm Whale

While we were in South Africa a dead sperm whale washed up in Guinjata Bay. Its appearance was a mystery. It is a small juvenile that seems to have been dead for some time. Never before has a sperm whale washed up in Mozambique’s waters. The nearest migration root for these large mammals is towards Antarctica and how it washed up past South Africa and the sharks and other large predators that inhabit the waters there is puzzling. But it is here, and stinking. Oscar, Zoë and I decide to walk there and investigate. The carcass comes into view before the stench hits us. As we draw closer it is unbearable. With the wind blowing southwards we get the full blast of the rotting carcass stretched out the size of a small trunk in front of us. I am prepared for the smell that the others in our house have warned us of and fill my nostrils with Tiger Balm (a thing I would recommend everyone should carry with them as it serves a range of wonderful purposes, although I never thought this would be one of them.) I wrap a bandana around my face and approach the creature. Little is known about the behavior of these animals as they spend most of their lives at depth. They feed at depths of 2,250m (7,380 ft). They are the largest toothed predator on earth and I am determined to get a tooth. These animals usually sink and become whale fall so a tooth would be a prized possession, something wonderfully precious and interesting. I reach my hands into the mouth, batting away flies that are busy laying maggots in the decaying flesh. Three smaller teeth are loose and pull away with little effort the larger ones will take more time. The carcass will take weeks to decompose and it will be interesting to see this happen but from a comfortable distance from now on.