JEFFERSON COUNTY, Wash — A humpback whale found dead on the Washington coast earlier this month showed "clear indications of blunt force trauma" that researchers believe is the result of a ship strike.
The humpback was first reported on Jefferson County's Ruby Beach on Oct. 5. It is one of two whales believed to have been killed by ship strikes in Washington this month, according to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
The humpback whale, a young female approximately 26-feet long, had "severe bruising and internal bleeding," according to the Stranding Network. It was likely a recently weaned calf or yearling, according to the Stranding Network.
The same day the humpback whale was reported on the coast, a minke whale was found floating near the San Juan Islands. The adult whale had recently eaten and appeared it would have been in good health. It was found with severe bruising and broken vertebra and ribs, according to the Stranding Network.
Earlier this year, three gray whales died from what researchers said was likely the result of ship strikes.
According to the Stranding Network, ship strikes have been an increasing cause of large whale deaths in Washington state, especially since the early 2000s. Reported ship strikes are likely a small proportion of the actual number that occur every year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency tasked with protecting the mammals, called for boaters to leave a football field between a vessel and whale and twice that for the killer whales found in Washington state.
