Earthwatch is a program that allows citizens to conduct scientific studies. I waded out to it. I could smell its breath. It was a fresh smell. Usually, if a whale is sick, you're going to have a stinker.
Beaked whales are deep-divers and difficult to study.
Usually, researchers are left with nothing more than the rotting remains of a bloated carcass found on the shore. Instead, Balcomb helped inch the whale out into deeper water. After helping to rescue several other distressed whales in the vicinity, Balcomb turned his attention to the dead ones. He became determined to track down the cause of their injury. Arguing through early denials by the U.S. Navy, Balcomb found Wednesday's admissions by an assistant secretary of the Navy a breath of fresh air.