Fin whales are the second largest animal on planet Earth and they are very fast swimmers – reaching speeds of up to 29 mph. The “greyhounds of the sea” have streamlined bodies, pointed heads and powerful tails, and are among the swiftest large whales in the oceans.
Their speed helped them in the 18th and 19th centuries, as whalers could not catch up to them. However, as explosive harpoons and faster ships were developed in the 20th century, fin whales became a prime target.
From 1904 to 1976, more than 700,000 fin whales were killed in the Southern Hemisphere alone, reducing their populations drastically. The species was saved from extinction when International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling, and by the 1980s fin whales were protected. They remain listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Sadly, fin whales still face threats from colliding with large ships. On Sunday evening, Jan. 4, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay reported a dead whale caught on the bow of a ship at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City.
The Coast Guard tentatively identified it as a fin whale, approximately 25-30 feet in length. Also, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) was called to secure the carcass, identify a staging area, and conduct a necropsy.
On Jan. 9 the MMSC, with help from Cornell University and stranding network partners Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, conducted a necropsy (animal autopsy) on the whale that was found on the bow of a 518-foot-long cargo ship while docking at the Holt Gloucester Marine Terminal.
The whale was towed across the river and secured at the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard for the necropsy. It was confirmed to be a young male fin whale measuring 42 feet 3 inches in length and weighing 23,000lbs (11.5 tons).
“Preliminary necropsy findings revealed evidence of blunt force trauma to the right side of the body consistent with a vessel strike. Various biological samples were collected and will be sent for further histopathologic analysis,” MMSC officials said.
The samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem (before or after the animal was deceased).
“Due to the industrial development along the local shoreline, the whale could not be buried onsite. Following the necropsy, the whale was prepared for transport to an inland burial location,” they said.
Fin whales are an endangered species, and are the second largest species of whale, with only the blue whale being larger. As adults, Fin whales can reach 75-80 feet in length and weigh 40-80 tons. The MMSC has responded to 34 Fin whales since 1978.
“The Marine Mammal Stranding Center would like to acknowledge the additional partners who assisted with the recovery and necropsy of the whale. Thank you to Philadelphia Barge Company for towing, holding and providing equipment and a staging area for the necropsy,” officials said.
“We also want to thank USCG Sector Delaware Bay, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and Waste Management Fairless Landfill. Thank you to our dedicated MMSC Necropsy Volunteers for being on standby and mobilizing so quickly,” they said. “Thank you Cornell University and our stranding network partners Atlantic Marine Conservation Society for your assistance with today’s necropsy.”
