GLOUCESTER CITY, N.J. – A 42-foot fin whale discovered on the bow of a massive cargo ship docking at the Holt Marine Terminal last week died from injuries consistent with a vessel strike, according to preliminary findings from a necropsy conducted by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
The young male whale, weighing approximately 23,000 pounds, was found attached to the front of a 518-foot-long cargo ship as it arrived in port on January 4. The animal was later towed across the Delaware River and secured at the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard, where a full necropsy was performed with assistance from Cornell University and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.
Experts said the whale showed evidence of blunt force trauma to the right side of its body, consistent with a collision with a large vessel. Tissue and organ samples were collected for further laboratory analysis, which will determine whether the injuries occurred before or after death.
Because the industrial shoreline offered no suitable burial location, the whale’s remains were transported inland for burial following the examination.
Fin whales are listed as an endangered species and are the second-largest whale species after the blue whale. Adult fin whales can reach lengths of up to 80 feet and weigh as much as 80 tons. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center has documented 34 fin whale strandings in New Jersey waters since 1978.
The Center thanked multiple agencies and organizations for their assistance in the recovery effort, including the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Philadelphia Barge Company, and a team of volunteers who helped coordinate the response.