Dead, endangered 12-foot fin whale washed ashore in Alaska, attracting hundreds of people

One endangered fin whale The animal washed ashore near a coastal road in Alaska, attracting the attention of dozens of curious observers as wildlife biologists investigate the reason behind the marine animal’s death.

The carcass of the approximately 40-foot-long baby female whale was found Saturday night on Tony Knowles Beach Road in Anchorage. Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologist Barbara Mahoney told the media outlet that the whale was “a year old or young” and was estimated to be between 1 and 3 years old.

The second largest whale species after blue whales, fin whales They are classified as an endangered species according to NOAA. A fully grown whale can reach a length of 85 feet and weigh between 40 and 80 tons. The mammal, which takes its name from the fin on its back near its tail, lives in oceans around the world. But NOAA says their existence is threatened by ship collisions, entanglement in fishing gear, underwater noise and the effects of climate change.

While fin whales are typically found offshore in deep, offshore waters, according to NOAA, recent high tides may have stressed the whales, Mandy Keogh, NOAA marine mammal stranding coordinator, told the Anchorage Daily News. The animal is further into the Knik Arm, a waterway leading to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska.

NOAA biologists and Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services staff anchored the carcass ashore Sunday. They took skin and fat samples to determine the reason behind the whale’s death. Mahoney told the Daily News they collected urine and blood samples, as well as some heart tissue and underwire samples, for examination. But Keogh added that even after samples are analyzed, it may be difficult to determine the cause of death due to the lack of decomposition or obvious injuries.

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People line up to see and touch the whale

While biologists tried to understand the animal’s cause of death, hundreds of people, including families and students, trekked across mud flats in cold and windy conditions to see and touch the animal. But no one was allowed to take any part of the whale unless it was an Alaska Native doing so for a living, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Among the dozens of visitors was Daisy Grandlinard, who brought a group of children to see the whale on Monday.

“It was really interesting for the kids to be able to feel it, to be able to touch the bottom of it because it had tracks on it, almost like a sled. And just seeing the size of it was pretty cool,” Grandlinard said. Daily News. “We had studied whales a few weeks before, so seeing one in person and saying, ‘Oh, this is what baleen looks like in real life,’ and ‘Where’s the blowhole?’ It was so much fun to say.”

Biologists told the Anchorage Daily News they plan to thaw the carcass once the examination is complete and “let the tide push or move it.”

“Whatever he does or doesn’t do, we don’t know,” Mahoney said.

Saman Shafiq is USA TODAY’s trending news reporter. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Dead fin whale washes ashore on a coastal road in Anchorage, Alaska