THIS RESPONSE IS FOR ...:
STAGE 1 | CLUE 1a whale weigh station ... OR: In a captive environment, like Sea World, an estimate of the weight could be
obtained by determining how much water is displace..the change in the water
level after the whale has entered compared to before.
Dead whales washed up on beaches could be lifted by crane and attached to
a very large (and strong) linear, spring loaded scale; just as small
mammals and reptiles are weighed by field researchers.
On the smaller scale, the researcher attaches the animal to be weighed
(usually in a small bag) to the scales by a clipping them together. The
person measuring then holds the scales at the end - the whole
thing "dangling" away from the researcher. I don't see why this technique
couldn't be used with a crane.
Alternatively, a whale carcass could be lifted (by crane) and dropped on
top of a stationary weighing platform.
Finally, a live or dead whale could be transported by vehicle to a truck
weigh station. By weighing and recording the truck's weight first, and
then loading the whale onboard, an accurate measurement of the whale could
be obtained.
