Sperm whale found dead on Oregon coast believed to have been struck by vessel

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****** whale found dead on Oregon coast believed to have been struck by vessel

An adult ****** whale washed ashore on the Oregon coast last week, and according to a necropsy conducted by researchers, it could have been hit by a vessel.

According to a

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in Seaside, Oregon, the nearly 53-foot whale washed ashore between Del Ray and Sunset Beach some 84 miles west of Portland on the afternoon of May 29.

But the dead whale had been spotted long before it washed ashore. According to the aquarium, the whale was reported dead on May 25, around 15 miles offshore, and then seen seven miles offshore on May 27.

A necropsy was then conducted by the Cascadia Research Collective, the Seaside Aquarium and Portland State University, the

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“During the necropsy, damage to the vertebrate was visible along with signs of hemorrhage. This helped the team determine that this whale was struck by a vessel,” the post said.

Officials

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, saying that the whale will be left on the beach to continue decomposing in order to provide “nutrition” to the local ecosystem.

“This will provide not only an opportunity to see this large whale but also provide a nutrition boost to the local ecosystem. Scavengers such as turkey vultures, bald eagles, and even coyotes will have the ability to feed on this whale for quite some time,” the post said.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at *****@*****.tld and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:

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