PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A 40-foot sperm whale that beached on Oregon‘s northwestern coast was killed after being struck by a ship, federal biologists conducting a post-mortem examination of the animal determined Monday.
Biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries agency, NOAA Fisheries, got here to that conclusion after examining a big gash within the whale’s side.
“There was hemorrhaging, in order that indicates that the animal was alive when it was struck,” said Michael Milstein, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast region.
The whale washed ashore dead on Saturday at Fort Stevens State Park in northwestern Oregon.
The biologists performed the necropsy, akin to an autopsy but for animals, at the positioning where the whale beached. They cut the whale open, examined its insides and took samples with a view to learn in regards to the health and condition of the whale. They determined it was a 20-year-old male, Milstein said.
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Members of the NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammals Stranding Network removed the whale’s lower jaw and teeth with a view to study them, but additionally to guard the stays from looters.
“Sperm whale teeth and jaws are very outstanding and quite lucrative on the black market. We removed the jaws so it didn’t get liberated by other means,” Milstein said.
There are a whole bunch of reports of stranded marine mammals on the West Coast every 12 months, in response to the NOAA network, which operates nationwide and consists of scientific investigators and institutions, wildlife and fisheries agencies, law enforcement and volunteers.
Samples and data collected from stranded animals are sometimes used for scientific purposes to learn more in regards to the populations and their health.
The reason behind stranding is unknown typically, the network says, but it will possibly include disease, parasites, harmful algal blooms, injuries from ships or fishing gear, pollution and starvation. Most stranded animals are found dead. In a limited variety of cases, animals which are alive could be transported to rehabilitation centers. Those who successfully rehabilitate could be returned to the wild in rare cases, in response to the network.
Although not unheard of, it’s unusual for a whale to scrub up in northern Oregon during a time of 12 months when most have migrated south for the winter.
Sperm whales are the third most frequent species to strand on Oregon’s coast, after gray whales and humpbacks, in response to Milstein. Sperm whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The subsequent challenge will probably be determining eliminate the carcass. Whales that wash ashore are sometimes buried where they lay on the beach, Milstein said, while adding that he wasn’t sure what the plan is for removing the dead sperm whale on this case.
Within the meantime, officials have urged curious onlookers to maintain their distance from the carcass.
Claire Rush is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Claire on Twitter.
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