Fin whale died when it was struck by ship

Thu., May 18, 2006

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

SEATTLE – A 56-foot fin whale that washed ashore in northwest Washington died when it was struck by a ship, scientists said Wednesday.

“That was fairly unequivocal,” said John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research, who led the team that examined the whale Tuesday. The carcass is on Lummi Indian tribal land that is closed to the public.

Fin whales, an endangered species, are at particular risk from ship strikes because of their size and feeding habits that bring them close to the surface, Calambokidis said.

The whale washed ashore Sunday at the Lummi reservation about 80 miles north of Seattle.

A necropsy found external and internal injuries on the animal’s right side, Calambokidis said in a telephone interview from his Olympia office.

The whale was an immature male, 4 or 5 years old, Calambokidis said. Little is known about the species, and samples taken Tuesday will offer information about the animal’s overall condition and the biology of fin whales, he said.

The dead whale could have been struck in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, he said. “But it’s more likely to have occurred off the Washington coast or the entrance to the strait.”

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