{"id":411683,"date":"2026-01-16T22:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/411683\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T22:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:00:14","slug":"rare-discovery-nearly-intact-whale-placenta-retrieved-by-pacific-whale-foundation-maui-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/411683\/","title":{"rendered":"Rare discovery: Nearly intact whale placenta retrieved by Pacific Whale Foundation : Maui Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\"\"Pacific Whale Foundation has successfully retrieved a rare, nearly intact whale placenta. PC: Pacific Whale Foundation \/ Permit #27099 and MMHSRP #24359. <\/p>\n

Pacific Whale Foundation reports it has successfully retrieved a rare, nearly intact whale placenta\u2014the most complete specimen it has ever had the opportunity to study. This is the second full placenta that has been collected in Hawai\u2019i, the most recent one was in 2020 by Pacific Whale Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0In 2018, another presumed recovery<\/a> was also documented in waters off Maui. <\/p>\n

Recovered by PacWhale Eco-Adventure\u2019s Chris, Des, and Caitlin aboard Ocean Spirit, the placenta includes a large portion of the umbilical cord.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Research team is currently processing the specimen to collect vital scientific data, including measurements and biological samples that offer an unprecedented look into the reproductive health of these marine giants.\u00a0<\/p>\n

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n

\u201cThis retrieval was made possible by the quick thinking of Captain Adam and crew member John onboard the vessel Quicksilver. While at sea, the crew spotted what they initially thought was floating debris, but upon closer inspection, they recognized the significance of the find,\u201d according to representatives with the Pacific Whale Foundation. \u201cTheir immediate call to Pacific Whale Foundation ensured the specimen was secured safely, turning a routine trip into a major contribution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crews also thanked the University of Hawaii\u2019s Health and Stranding Lab (Dr. Kristi West and Dr. Ilsa Silva-Krott) who will be assisting processing the specimen.<\/p>\n

The PWF notes, \u201cThe taking of bio-cultural samples is a sacred moment. In Hawaiian culture, all things should remain in the realm they belong with little intrusion as applicable. Treating the i\u02bbo (flesh) with respect and also having the commitment to return all pieces gathered back to where they belong, in the seas of Maui Nui.\u201d <\/p>\n

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n

Note: Placenta was collected under research permit #27099, which allows for biological collection of marine mammal specimens.\u00a0Additional Permit: MMHSRP #24359.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pacific Whale Foundation has successfully retrieved a rare, nearly intact whale placenta. PC: Pacific Whale Foundation \/ Permit…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[197486,197487,197488,197489,35574,197490,197491,197492,197493,197494,197495,194725,79,197496,197497],"class_list":["post-411683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-dr-ilsa-silva-krott","tag-dr-kristi-west","tag-health-and-stranding-lab","tag-health-and-strandings-lab","tag-humpback-whale","tag-maui-whale","tag-ocean-spirit","tag-pacific-whale-foundation","tag-pacwhale-eco-adventure","tag-placenta","tag-quicksliver","tag-rare-discovery","tag-science","tag-whale-after-birth","tag-whale-placenta"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}