Marine conservationists and U.S. government scientists are searching for clues in the mystery of how a 45-foot whale carcass ended up on the bow of a cruise ship, where it was discovered as the ship approached Brooklyn Harbor, New York. this weekend.
A necropsy, an autopsy performed on an animal, identified the marine mammal as a sardine whale (Balaenoptera borealis) adult female, one species endangered species that is typically found in deep waters far from land, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said Wednesday.
A key question is whether the whale’s death occurred before or after contact with the ship, according to the nonprofit organization, based in Hampton Bays, New York.
A statement published online by the Atlantic Marine Conversation association, whose team carried out the necropsy on Tuesday, states that the examination revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the region of the whale’s right scapula and a fracture of the right fin. The creature’s gastrointestinal tract was full of food, he said.
Most of the whale’s organs were collected, along with tissues and bones, for toxicological and pathological analysis, according to the association. “The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine whether the interaction with the ship occurred before or after death,” the group said in a statement.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is also investigating the incident. The whale’s corpse was transported to the port on Saturday. The conservation association said the whale was then towed to shore in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to perform a necropsy.
Sardine whales, members of the finned cetacean that feed on plankton It is krillare known as exceptionally fast swimmers, capable of reaching speeds exceeding 55 kilometers per hour, according to NOAA.
They live mainly in subtropical, temperate and subpolar seas around the world, mainly in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. In summer, they are common in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank and Stellwagen Bank in the western North Atlantic. Reuters
