A blue whale that washed ashore on Monday died after it was hit by a ship.

The Marine Mammal Center found the carcass just a few miles south of Limantour Beach in Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

A researcher at the center says this is the 10th blue whale carcass they’ve found in 43 years.

It’s the eighth dead whale found in the Bay Area this year.

Ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement are the leading causes of whale mortality.

Here is the full statement from the Marine Mammal Center:

Scientists confirm that the blue whale that washed ashore in Point Reyes National Seashore yesterday died due to blunt force trauma consistent with vessel collision. Scientists performed a full necropsy, or animal autopsy, on the whale carcass Tuesday morning a few miles south of Limantour Beach.

“Blue whales are the largest animal on earth and an endangered species, so to learn that this individual’s death is a result of a ship strike is particularly unfortunate,” says Barbie Halaska, a researcher at The Marine Mammal Center. “Understanding and documenting the extent of the injuries through a necropsy allows us to share this information with decision-makers to help find solutions to prevent these incidents in the future.”

Primary threats to blue whales include vessel strikes and entanglements. In September 2007, three blue whale deaths were confirmed to be caused by ship strikes in the Santa Barbara Channel off Southern California; these deaths were part of a larger Unusual Mortality Event. This is the tenth blue whale that the Center has responded to in its 43-year history.

Early in the necropsy, scientists discovered multiple broken vertebrae and severe tissue hemorrhaging running along the length of the whale’s back. Upon closer inspection the team discovered a severed spine and bruising to the ribs and lower jaw. The Center’s scientists noted that the 62-foot juvenile female carcass was in the midway stages of decomposition based on the quality of the skin condition and internal tissues.

Nineteen scientists from The Marine Mammal Center, California Academy of Sciences, Point Reyes National Seashore and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) participated in the necropsy.

Initially reported to the Center’s rescue department Saturday evening floating two miles east of the Farallon Islands, the cetacean washed ashore Monday afternoon in Point Reyes National Seashore.
 
The Marine Mammal Center collected tissue samples to contribute to various research studies and California Academy of Sciences archived the whale’s pelvic, rib and scapula bones.

The whale will be left at the necropsy site to decompose naturally.

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