Necropsy Done On Whale Killed After Barnegat Bay Boat Collision

BARNEGAT BAY, NJ — A necropsy (animal autopsy) has been completed on the Minke whale that died Saturday following a collision with a boat at Double Creek Channel in Barnegat Bay Saturday, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC).

The crash with the boat nearly capsized the vessel and sent one passenger overboard. The whale was found dead after stranding itself on a sand bar. Read more: Whale Dies After Barnegat Bay Boat Collision

The Minke whale, confirmed to be a 26-foot 4-inch long female, was found by the necropsy to be in overall thin condition, the MMSC said.

"Superficial cuts were present externally, with bruising present in the blubber and muscle in the areas of trauma on the dorsal side," the MMSC said. "Blood was present in the lungs."

The whale's GI tract was empty with very little digestive material present and a scant amount of fecal matter, the MMSC said. The stomach also had lesions.

At the end of the necropsy, the whale was buried on the beach. Whale carcasses are typically buried on the beach as they can be navigational hazards if taken back to sea, and may also float and wash back up again.

Various biological samples were taken from the whale and sent to a pathologist for further analysis. The results will be available here when ready.