Following a necropsy last week, scientists said the young humpback whale that washed up in Corolla on the Outer Banks on April 10 suffered from blunt force trauma and that was the likely cause of death.
The marine mammal stranding team and North Carolina Aquarium staff found its organs significantly decomposed, and they discovered fractured vertebrae and previous fishery scars from a previous entanglement.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, entanglement in fishing gear is currently the leading cause of death for serious injury and death for most whale species.
The whale was found stranded on a sandbar Thursday. The female whale weighed about 30 tons and was more than 33 feet long.
During a low tide cycle, beachgoers spotted the young whale struggling in the surf near one of the popular beach access points. Experts said this isn't uncommon, but the presence of a large whale so close to shore is a rare and dramatic event.
Humpback whales are known to migrate along the Atlantic Ocean coast in the spring. This young whale might have been navigating unfamiliar waters or following prey too close to shore, officials said.
