BARNEGAT LIGHT — A necropsy performed on a deceased fin whale that washed ashore in Barnegat Light confirmed the animal was a young male measuring 51 feet, 1.5 inches long and weighing an estimated 25 tons.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, assisted by Cornell University, conducted the examination after the whale was discovered on the beach February 20.
Preliminary findings revealed blunt force trauma on the left side of the whale’s body, injuries consistent with a possible vessel strike. Examiners also noted signs of a prior entanglement near the base of the tail.
Following the examination, the whale was buried on the beach.
Biologists collected multiple tissue samples that will undergo further histopathologic testing. Those results are expected to help determine whether the vessel interaction occurred before or after the whale’s death. Updates will be posted at mmsc.org/current-cetacean-data when the findings are available.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center thanked the Borough of Barnegat Light, T & K Marine Construction, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Conservation Officers, Cornell University and the organization’s necropsy volunteers for their assistance and rapid response ahead of an approaching storm.
Fin whales are listed as endangered and are the second-largest whale species, surpassed only by blue whales. Adults can grow between 75 and 80 feet long and weigh as much as 80 tons. Since 1978, the Stranding Center has responded to 35 fin whale cases.
