BOURNE, Mass. (AP) – Researchers say preliminary findings show blunt trauma may have played a role in the death of a North Atlantic right whale found dead in Massachusetts waters.
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say bruising consistent with blunt trauma could be evidence of a ship strike. The agency is urging vessels to keep a close look for right whales, which often swim just below the water’s surface and can be hard to see.
The 27-foot long, 1-year-old female was found dead in Cape Cod Bay on Thursday and towed to a harbor where it could be placed on a flatbed for transport.
Final analysis is expected weeks from now.
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered. There are only a few hundreds of them in the world.
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