biologicalmarginalia:
Hey, wait a second…
From Heintzelman’s A...
Hey, wait a second…
From Heintzelman’s A World Guide to Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises (1981):
Alula Whale Orcinus mörzer-bruynsus
Other Name: Alula Killer.
Length: 24 feet (7.2 meters).
Weight: 4,000 pounds (1,814 kilograms).
Description: A sepia brown Orcinus whale with a well-rounded forehead and white, star-like scars on the body. The dorsal fin, about 2 feet (0.6 meters) high, is prominent and often protrudes well above the surface of the water. This species was discussed and illustrated for the first time, but not formally named, by W. F. J. Mörzer Bruyns in Field Guide of Whales and Dolphins.
Food: Information unavailable.
Habitat: Deep coastal waters.
Distribution: Eastern Gulf of Aden to Socotra.
So what the hell is this thing? I can’t help but think of the recently recognized Antarctic Orca variants, some of which are yellowish or brownish (Types B and C) and one of which does have a blunt head (Type D). So could this be a little-recognized Orca variant hiding off the Arabian peninsula? None of the known variants lack a saddle or eye patch and the drawing seems a bit Pilot Whale-like to me. Oceanic Dolphins are capable of really odd and sometimes fertile hybrids (Pseudorca x Tursiops, Tursiops x Grampus), which could explain the lack of subsequent sightings. Or maybe, Bruyns made a mistake and this is an unusually recent fantastical sea monster.
