Community Corner
Marin's Marine Mammal Center Studies Dead Whale At Angel Island
This is the third gray whale carcass examined by the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center so far in 2018.
BAY AREA, CA – Scientists with the Marine Mammal Center performed a necropsy on a 44-foot, female gray whale Wednesday on Angel Island.
The carcass was initially spotted last Friday, floating in the waters near the shoreline south of the Bay Bridge, and it eventually washed ashore Saturday near Oakland International Airport before getting towed to Angel Island for further examination.
Scientists with the Marine Mammal Center – which is based in Sausalito in Marin County – deployed to investigate the carcass, finding that it had suffered blunt force trauma and hemorrhaging to the left side of its body as well as multiple skull fractures. They believe the whale was struck by a vessel of some kind.
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Center officials gathered tissue samples for research purposes, and scientists with the California Academy of Sciences took the whale's hip bones for their archives.
This is the third gray whale carcass examined by the Marine Mammal Center so far in 2018. They say that blunt force trauma from boats, malnutrition and entanglement in rope or fishing lines are the leading causes
of death.
Find out what's happening in Mill Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Gray whales are the most commonly sighted whales on the California coast. This time of year they're headed north toward Alaska.
Third dead gray whale found on Angel Island State Park in San Francisco, says @TMMC https://t.co/9KAPSLx0nJ pic.twitter.com/dLNCoQ0Azy
— KTVU (@KTVU) May 9, 2018
Our scientists and our partners at @calacademy are currently performing a necropsy on a gray whale carcass on @AngelIslandSP to determine cause of death. More details to follow
— The Marine Mammal Center (@TMMC) May 9, 2018
By Bay City News Service
Image via Marine Mammal Center
