The whale

2023 - 1 - 16

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

40-foot endangered sperm whale washes ashore in Oregon (CBS News)

The whale was found dead and covered in gashes on Saturday. Officials said the cause of its death is being evaluated.

The animal was "likely to die" after the tangled fishing lines left her with "numerous wounds across her body and whale lice on her head," the agency said. [a 21-foot killer whale](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/killer-whale-dies-stranded-florida-beach/) was found stranded and later died after washing ashore near Daytona Beach in Florida, while another 32-foot whale washed ashore in Brigantine, New Jersey, after officials said it was most likely [struck and killed by a marine vessel](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/brigantine-atlantic-county-beached-whale-marine-vessel/), CBS Philadelphia reported. Earlier, in mid-December, a humpback whale named Moon — widely known and beloved by researchers who have studied her — was [left with a broken spine](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moon-humpback-whale-broken-spine-vessel-strike-last-journey-canada-hawaii/) and unable to use her tail after being struck by a ship while swimming from Canada to Hawaii. Additional studies have indicated that marine vessels pose a significant threat to whales and other marine life, with one published in [2017](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183052) suggesting that as many as about 80 blue, fin and humpback whales are struck along the U.S. Earlier this month, a 4-year-old North Atlantic right whale — one of the rarest in the world, with only a few hundred remaining — was originally spotted on Jan. [heavily entangled in fishing gear](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rare-north-atlantic-whale-likely-to-die-north-carolina/). Per NOAA Fisheries, which leads sperm whale conservation efforts, the species is vulnerable to vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, underwater noise pollution, which can hinder their ability to communicate, marine debris, oil spills and other contaminants, as well as various consequences of climate change. Milstein told CBS News on Monday that a sperm whale measuring 40 feet is "about the typical size" for an adult male. [largest toothed whales](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/sperm-whale#:~:text=Population%20Status) on Earth, according to NOAA, with males sometimes reaching almost 60 feet in length and weighing more than 40 tons. However, from 2010 to 2014, the agency reported that "[H]owever, it is unclear if this strike occurred before or after death," the aquarium said in its Facebook post. Milstein said the exam could reveal more details about the whale's death and what caused it.

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Image courtesy of "OPB News"

Don't approach the sperm whale carcass near Oregon's Fort ... (OPB News)

The 40-foot whale was first spotted Saturday near the Peter Iredale shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park. It had been dead for quite a while before it washed ...

There were a few large gashes on the whale believed to be from a large ship strike, however, it is unclear if this strike occurred before or after death. A necropsy will be scheduled later in the week to take a closer look at this. The whale had been dead for a while before washing ashore.

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Image courtesy of "Corvallis Gazette Times"

Sperm whale beached in Oregon killed by ship, feds find (Corvallis Gazette Times)

Federal biologists have found that a sperm whale beached on Oregon's coast was killed after being struck by a ship. A spokesperson for the National Oceanic ...

Those that successfully rehabilitate can be returned to the wild in rare cases, according to the network. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The next challenge will be figuring out how to dispose of the carcass. The biologists performed the necropsy, akin to an autopsy but for animals, at the site where the whale beached. Sperm whales, the largest toothed whale, were nearly decimated by the whaling industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. The prized waxy substance found in their heads, spermaceti, was used in oil lamps, lubricants and candles.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

40-foot sperm whale with fatal wounds found dead on Oregon beach (The Washington Post)

A young endangered sperm whale was found dead near Fort Stevens State Park. Experts conducted a necropsy and believe it died after a collision with a ship.

As seas rise, others are exploring [how to harness marine energy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2021/cop26-scotland-wave-energy-renewables/?itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_14&itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_8). It can feel overwhelming facing the impacts of climate change, but there are [ways to cope with climate anxiety](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/climate-change-anxiety-dread-cope/2021/07/14/471eb264-e4d4-11eb-b722-89ea0dde7771_story.html?itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_6). As temperatures rise, heat waves are more often sweeping the globe — and parts of the world are [becoming too hot to survive](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/climate-change-humidity/?itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_4&itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_3). Coren](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/28/why-washington-post-is-starting-climate-advice-column/?itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_9) is answering questions about environmental choices in our everyday lives. [Submit yours here.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-euNpVw9Z7xvi2ZoRiiE9why3YJTsHumbX9XrRe6bXX4Yrg/viewform?itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_10) You can also [sign up for our Climate Coach newsletter](https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/climate-coach/?itid=lb_more-on-climate-change_11). [a recent study](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24107-7). [Sign up for the latest news about climate change, energy and the environment, delivered every Thursday](https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/#/bundle/energy?method=SURL&location=ART&itid=lk_interstitial_manual_23) Females typically stay in the same social unit in tropical waters for their entire lives, while males eventually leave between the ages of 4 and 21 to form “bachelor schools.” About 2,000 sperm whales are thought to live off the West Coast, according to Milstein. “It looks like a fairly young whale,” she said. Some will return to tropical waters to mate once they have reached their 20s or older, and females only reproduce every few years. NOAA Fisheries conducted a routine necropsy — an autopsy for animals — on the body to determine cause of death.

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

Sperm whale found dead in Oregon was hit and killed by ship (Los Angeles Times)

A 40-foot sperm whale that washed up dead on Oregon's northwestern coast was killed after being struck by a ship, federal biologists have determined.

Sperm whales, the largest toothed whale, were nearly decimated by the whaling industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. Staff said it was the first such event in the 25 years they have been watching whales. They cut the whale open, examined its insides and took samples in order to learn about its health and condition.

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Image courtesy of "Texas Tribune"

Scientists: Tougher oil and gas rules needed in gulf to protect rare ... (Texas Tribune)

Environmental scientists say Rice's whale, discovered in 2021, faces extinction unless the federal government sets tougher restrictions on oil and gas ...

[data](https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/media-center/news/20220601-state-sales-tax-revenue-totaled-37-billion-in-may-1654109340274) from Texas Comptroller [Glenn Hegar](https://www.texastribune.org/directory/glenn-hegar/), Texas oil and natural gas producers are paying record amounts of production taxes to the state. Join thousands of readers who power The Texas Tribune’s nonprofit newsroom. The whales were hit hard by the 2010 [Deepwater Horizon oil spill](https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/deepwater-horizon-bp-gulf-mexico-oil-spill), which killed 11 workers when a British Petroleum drilling platform exploded and sank, spilling 4 million barrels of oil into the gulf over 87 days. The noise can confuse the whales, which rest at night within 50 feet of the gulf’s surface, and interfere with their communication, making it harder for them to find food, navigate and mate, according to NOAA. “It would be a tragedy to watch this whale species go extinct, so soon after we learned that it was there.” Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. … supporting the Tribune. It’s the only baleen whale known to live in the gulf, and Carden said its isolation led to it evolving into its own species. The endangered species — only about 50 are believed to exist — lives in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Scientists at the National Marine Fisheries Service, also called NOAA Fisheries, are conducting research to understand the whales’ migration patterns. [Center for Biological Diversity oceans program](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/oceans/). “It’s not too often that we discover new species of whales.

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Image courtesy of "UPI.com"

Tougher oil, gas restrictions sought to protect rare whale in Gulf of ... (UPI.com)

Environmental scientists say Rice's whale, discovered in 2021, faces extinction unless the federal government sets tougher restrictions on oil and gas ...

[data](https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/media-center/news/20220601-state-sales-tax-revenue-totaled-37-billion-in-may-1654109340274) from Texas Comptroller [Glenn Hegar](https://www.texastribune.org/directory/glenn-hegar/), Texas oil and natural gas producers are paying record amounts of production taxes to the state. [The Texas Tribune](http://www.texastribune.org/). The whales were hit hard by the 2010 [Deepwater Horizon](https://www.upi.com/topic/Gulf_Oil_Spill/) oil spill, which killed 11 workers when a British Petroleum drilling platform exploded and sank, spilling 4 million barrels of oil into the gulf over 87 days. "It would be a tragedy to watch this whale species go extinct, so soon after we learned that it was there." The noise can confuse the whales, which rest at night within 50 feet of the gulf's surface, and interfere with their communication, making it harder for them to find food, navigate and mate, according to NOAA. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. It's the only baleen whale known to live in the gulf, and Carden said its isolation led to it evolving into its own species. The endangered species -- only about 50 are believed to exist -- lives in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Scientists at the National Marine Fisheries Service, also called NOAA Fisheries, are conducting research to understand the whales' migration patterns. [Center for Biological Diversity oceans program](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/oceans/). Disclosure: The Texas comptroller of public accounts has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. "It's not too often that we discover new species of whales.

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