What causes a dorsal fin to collapse?

What causes a dorsal fin to collapse?

The whales also often swim in a repetitive circular pattern. Other potential causes for fin collapse may be dehydration and overheating of fin tissue due to warmer water and air temperatures, stress due to captivity or changes in diet, reduced activity that causes low blood pressure, or age.

What does it mean when the dorsal fin is bent?

Ultimately, what’s going on is the collagen in the dorsal fin is breaking down. One reason this may happen is from temperature. Warmer temperatures can disrupt collagen’s structure and rigidity. Which may explain why more captive whales have curved fins.

Are collapsed dorsal fins normal?

Collapsed or collapsing dorsal fins are rare in most wild populations and usually result from a serious injury to the fin, such as from being shot or colliding with a vessel.

Do dorsal fins collapse in the wild?

In the wild, the condition varies from population to population. For example, according to Dr. Ingrid Visser’s 1998 study on fin abnormalities, the percentage rate of wild whales with collapsed, collapsing or bent dorsal fins sits at 4.7% in British Columbia and 0.57% in Norway.

Can dorsal fin collapse reversed?

Bent dorsal fins of captive harbor porpoises can straighten to some degree. Rehabilitated stranded animals should spend some time in a large pool or pen, preferably with conspecific pool-mates, prior to being released.

What happened at Loro Parque?

On December 24, 2009, exactly two months before Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau, Loro Parque trainer (Alexis Martínez) was working with Keto, a killer whale owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. During a training session, Keto pulled Alexis under water and then rammed him in his chest.

Did Tilikum eat Dawn’s arm?

SeaWorld claims that she was pulled into the water by her ponytail. Some witnesses reported seeing Tilikum grab Brancheau by the arm or shoulder. The orca’s move seems to have been very quick, pulling her underwater and drowning her.

What causes dorsal fin collapse in orcas?

The common causes of dorsal fin collapse in captivity are vastly different to causes of the condition in the wild. Due to the confined environment, orcas are restricted in their ability to travel rapidly over vast distances and dive at depth; this results in pattern swimming, logging at the surface and exercising less.

What’s going on with my dorsal fin?

Ultimately, what’s going on is the collagen in the dorsal fin is breaking down. One reason this may happen is from temperature. Warmer temperatures can disrupt collagen’s structure and rigidity.

Why do fish fins collapse?

Other potential causes for fin collapse may be dehydration and overheating of fin tissue due to warmer water and air temperatures, stress due to captivity or changes in diet, reduced activity that causes low blood pressure, or age.

What percentage of whales have collapsed fins?

For example, according to Dr. Ingrid Visser’s 1998 study on fin abnormalities, the percentage rate of wild whales with collapsed, collapsing or bent dorsal fins sits at 4.7% in British Columbia and 0.57% in Norway.