Whales' health gives concern

The health of Nico and Gasper, a pair of beluga whales at the New Georgia Aquarium, is medically worrisome. CBS News correspondent Mark Strassman reports Gasper's condition is especially troubling, he is over-stressed and underweight.

Tim Binder, who oversees the health of all the aquarium's creatures, says Gasper's condition was critical when he first showed up at the aquarium. Human contact was probably the worst thing that ever happened to the two whales, who until last October, lived in terrible conditions at a Mexico City amusement park. Their tank sat right underneath a roller coaster, and next to a superhighway.

Nico, the dominant one, is the hardy one. At 12-feet long and almost 1,500 pounds, his check-ups please veterinarian Howard Krum. But Gasper needs
treatments for lesions on his flippers, tail and some underneath his skin — detectable only by a thermograph.

The two whales now undergo checkups and treatments every three weeks. They've gone from no medical care in Mexico, to what amounts to a premium managed care program. And a crisis for most people is good news for Gasper - he's gained 72 pounds in three weeks.

It's proof that nature's biggest creatures can sometimes be the most fragile.

(source/image: CBS Broadcasting Inc)