One of the more commonly stranded whales in the Florida Keys is the pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps. Just before Thanksgiving in 1990, a whale of this species paid DRC a visit. It was a young female that stranded in the upper portion of the Keys. We brought the little lady to a saltwater pool a few miles from DRC, in south Marathon for rehabilitation.
As we began treating her with water and antibiotics, we hoped that her appetite and swimming ability would return quickly. At that time of year in the Florida Keys, the water and air temperatures decrease. Although not as extreme as northern climates, there is a noticeable difference. Since the little whale wasn’t swimming and the water was getting colder, she began to shiver. In her debilitated condition, we suspected her blubber layer was depleted.
We attempted many ways of trying to keep her warm. The local gas company created a water-heating device, but because there was a natural tidal flow running in and out of the holding pool, we couldn’t keep the water sufficiently heated. Just when we were running out of ideas, one staff member asked why we couldn’t use a wetsuit. The whale wasn’t moving and water would not be continually flushed throughout the suit, so in theory it should work. We decided to make the first known whale wetsuit!
DRC contacted Fathom Wetsuit Co. and presented this idea to the president of the company, who agreed to construct and donate the whale wetsuit. Measurements were taken and a design was made. We faxed this information to Fathom, whose workers constructed the custom wetsuit overnight. It arrived in the Keys and was on the whale the next day. We named the whale Fathom in their honor.
The wetsuit not only kept Fathom warm, it also provided another benefit: it created buoyancy and assisted her in floating at the surface so she could breathe easier.
DRC struggled for a little over two months to rehabilitate Fathom. We used every technique we knew, and many we had to improvise; above all, we gave her love. She never did swim or eat on her own, and the infection that she was battling grew worse. One day in late January, Fathom quietly passed away.
Even though Fathom did not recover, this little whale gave us a wealth of experience and knowledge. We learned better methods of medical care and insight into this species, and had the opportunity to construct the first whale wetsuit. This knowledge has been used in many strandings since Fathom’s death. Sea World contacted us for help in adapting the design of the wetsuit to fit injured manatees. Manatees with broken ribs and lung punctures have a difficult time keeping themselves balanced. If they cannot keep level, they do not eat properly. A wetsuit can provide buoyancy and, with the proper placement of pocket weights, help keep the manatee level.
It was a privilege to know Fathom. We were glad we could make what little time this gentle animal had left as comfortable as possible.
