A 67-foot-long endangered fin whale was found dead on the bow of a vessel arriving at the Port of Tacoma early Monday, prompting a multi-agency response.
A 67-foot-long endangered fin whale was found dead on the bow of a vessel arriving at the Port of Tacoma early Monday, prompting a multi-agency response; on Wednesday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) provided an update on the necropsy to determine what happened.
At about 5 a.m. Monday, the WDFW, working as part of the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, received a report of the deceased whale on the vessel.
WDFW, NOAA Fisheries, and the Port of Tacoma coordinated that day to secure the whale’s remains to protect the safety of port operations.
On Tuesday, responders relocated the remains to a necropsy site on nearby McNeil Island.
WDFW and Cascadia Research Collective conducted a necropsy Wednesday, and experts identified the animal as an adult female fin whale measuring 67 feet long.
Based on the necropsy findings, responders believe the whale was alive when it was struck by the vessel, WDFW said.
Fin whales are federally endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and are listed as state endangered in Washington.
NOAA Fisheries will continue gathering information about the vessel strike, and experts will review the necropsy findings for more insight into how to reduce future risks to whales.
Ship strikes have emerged as an increasing cause of death for large whales as ship volume and speed have increased, according to the information released.
The whale’s remains will stay at the necropsy site to naturally decompose.
WDFW said it “appreciates the coordination between our West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network partners and the Port of Tacoma during this response.”
While the federal government, including NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, maintains management authority for marine mammals in the United States, WDFW helps manage the populations that live in or migrate through Washington.
The Port of Tacoma falls under WDFW’s response area as part of the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, which responds to marine mammal stranding events along the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts.
A marine mammal “stranding” refers to stuck, injured, ill, or deceased marine mammals.
