Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Whale milk could provide a nutritious alternative to cows' milk, according to marine researchers - and is feasible on commercial scales.

Milking whales on an industrial scale would free-up agricultural land for more crops, says the international team of scientists from the Marine Research Institute, Mid Glamorgan and the Nederlands Instituut voor Mariene Wetenschappen.

Whales produce 40 times more milk than the average Friesian. The milk has a higher fat content and is full of omega three fatty acids, say the researchers.

'It tastes sweeter but you soon get used to it,' says lead researcher Dr Marie Turnwater.

Turnwater claims her family now regularly breakfast on cereal drenched in minke whale milk. 'I prefer it now,' she added. 'Though my eleven-year-old claims it "repulses" him "and always will."'

Udderly amazing

The researchers think it is possible to milk on a large scale. They have trained two pods of minke whales to return to 'milking bays' in a fjord in Norway. Here, 'farmers' attach harnesses and milking apparatus to the udders. Milking takes about 50 minutes and gives 1600 litres of milk, or 2815 pints, compared with a Friesian's paltry 40 litres.

'They come every day. They do it in return for herring,' says Turnwater.

It has even been suggested whale milk could be fermented to produce a 'mildly alcoholic drink'.

Humans are unusual in the animal kingdom because they are the only species to drink milk beyond childhood, and to drink the milk of other species.

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Natural Environment Research Council: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/

Thanks to Natural Environment Research Council for this article.
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