The World - News from Oct. 4, 1989

Wildlife experts said that a killer whale found dead on Canada’s west coast contained the highest level of mercury ever recorded in a whale, porpoise or dolphin anywhere in the world. Veterinarian Ken Langelier said a government autopsy showed a mercury level of 1,272 parts per million, almost double the previous record level found in a far older whale beached on the British Columbia coast two years ago. Langelier said volcanic eruptions in the ocean depths, where killer whales feed, may explain the high mercury level found in the liver of the young male. However, he said he feared that man-made pollution was responsible.