The State - News from Sept. 3, 1989

Nicholas and Alexander, the two rare beaked whales that have amazed ocean scientists by surviving for more than a week, are continuing to hold their own and Alexander even ate three pounds of herring. The two had not been expected to survive the night when they were brought to Marine World/Africa USA animal park in Vallejo after beaching themselves Aug. 24 on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The deep-ocean whales have been surviving on a diet of “fish shakes” force fed to them through tubes. Another rare whale--a young, female pygmy sperm whale found beached between Santa Cruz and Monterey last week--was given only a 1-in-10 chance of survival.