A Minke whale that was discovered dead and floating this week most likely died from being struck by a ship, according to researchers. The floating whale, first reported to the The Whale Museum stranding hotline by a commercial vessel, was located by Stranding Coordinator Jessica Farrer and later towed to a private beach on a nearby island by the US Coast Guard.

Under authorization of NOAA Fisheries, scientists and veterinarians from the Whale Museum’s stranding network, Cascadia Research Collective, World Vets, and the SeaDoc Society performed a complete necropsy.

The initial exam suggests the animal was hit by a large ship, but microscopic examination of tissues and multiple ancillary tests are still pending. Severe bruising was present in almost a straight line on the left side of the body that extended almost the entire length of the animal from just behind the head to the end of the abdomen. The 5th rib was broken in half, part of one of the vertebrae was broken, and there was extensive bleeding in the lungs. Examination of the ovaries showed that this 24-foot female was of breeding age. While not as well-known as killer whales, many minke whales that frequent the San Juan Islands are known individuals. Initial attempts to photo-identify this animal were not successful, but #minkewhale researchers are still examining images.

Jessica Farrer, #stranding network Coordinator for the Whale Museum, said, “While it is always sad to find a dead whale, we were pleased that we could determine the cause of death. It’s work like this that will provide the data that will one day enable us to modify shipping lanes or vessel speeds to reduce this type of tragedy.”