Tuesday 12 September 10:12 AM

Mystery marine mammal baffles experts

Conservation officers in the north-west of WA are baffled with the discovery of a strange mammal.

The four-and-half metre creature is thought to be a species of whale, but has been described as having a dolphin-like appearance with big tusks.

It was washed up on a beach at Point Maud near Coral Bay, south of Exmouth last week.

Marine conservation officer at Exmouth, Caroline Williams, says the mammal's head will be studied by museum authorities in Perth.

"It's the most wierd looking whale I've ever seen - picture a very large nose dolphin, so it's got the long snout, but then rather than having rows of sharp teeth it's got just two teeth in the lower jaw, one on either side and they're actually on the outside of the body," she said.

"So I guess they're really sort of more tusks, like you'd have elephant tusks."

-- (son@of.blubber), September 12, 2000

Answers

Objection, your honour. OZ dwellers are rather particular on who is permitted entry Down Under. To insinuate our odd creature is a washed- up CPR impersonator is too much, just too much!

Bah!!!

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), September 12, 2000.

LOL Pieter! Sorry, didn't mean to insult the creature.

-- (cpr@blubber.head), September 12, 2000.