Scientists Performing Necropsy Friday on Whale Found in Oakland Estuary

Photo courtesy of the Marina Mammal Center

By Bay City News Service

A team of 14 scientists will perform a necropsy Friday to determine what caused the death of a whale found dead in the Oakland Estuary on Wednesday.

The whale’s body was towed to Angel Island State Park on Thursday, with the help of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to the Marine Mammal Center.

Scientists have determined the whale is an immature male fin whale, measuring about 52 feet long, center officials said.

As scientists perform the necropsy, they will be looking for evidence of blunt force trauma, which could indicate the whale was struck by a ship, according to center officials.

The center received a report earlier in the week regarding a whale carcass that fell off the bow of a large ship in the San Francisco Bay.

Scientists will try to find out if this whale is the same one mentioned in the report, center officials said.

Scientists will also collect samples and data for future studies, according to center officials.

The Coast Guard first notified the National Marine Fisheries Service of a stranded whale floating in the estuary at about 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the fisheries service.

The whale was found in the waters near Mariner Square Marina in Alameda, an employee at the marina said.

“Every whale stranding is an important opportunity to learn more about these creatures and how we can prevent future deaths,” senior scientist at the Marine Mammal Center Dr. Frances Gulland said in a statement.

“With an increase in worldwide shipping, deaths from ship strikes will become more and more of a problem. Locally we must identify a solution that both works for shipping companies and keeps whales safe,” Gulland said.

The dead whale is the latest of several that have turned up in the Bay Area, including three found on the shores of Pacifica since April.

The whale found Wednesday is the first discovered in the Bay itself this year.