Blainville's Beaked Whale Head 0002

3D Shaded Surface Display (SSD) reconstruction from CT scans of the head of a Blainville's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). This animal died in a stranding associated with a naval sonar exercise. CT scans revealed a left temporal fossa intracranial hemorrhage. The mechanism behind the hemorrhage is unknown at this time but has been reported in beaked whales stranding under similar circumstances. Specimen courtesy of Kenneth Balcomb, Cross Harbor Creek, Abaco, Bahamas. (related report) (3D animation).