North Atlantic Right Whale the Same Day the Carcass of Sei whale Near Virginia Beach

Mar 29, 2011
Reporter: Dave Jordan

A North Atlantic Right Whale washed ashore on the Outer Banks near Jennette’s Pier the same day the carcass of Sei whale was found just up the coast near Virginia Beach.

Both whales washed ashore on Sunday.

Karen Clark with The Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network says a necropsy was performed on the Right Whale Monday, which was a mature female. Clark says the North Atlantic Right Whale is the most endangered whale with less than 400 remaining.

Clark says the whale was highly decomposed and had some old scars and evidence of previous entanglements. She also say there are patterns on the animal that allowed them to identify the animal from research that has been conducted on them.

The carcass of the Sei whale was found in Sandbridge, near Virginia Beach Sunday morning. It was about 35 to 40 feet long.

Staffers from the Virginia Beach Aquarium were dispatched to the site so that it could be secured, and not wash back into the ocean. A necropsy on the animal is planned to determine the cause of death.
Sei whales are not common to the Virginia Beach area.

It was earlier this month that a humpback whale was spotted in the Core Sound off the Carteret County coast and had to be put down after being wounded by a propeller.

SOURCE: witn.com

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