Partnerships Helped Situation
A 16-foot Minke Whale washed ashore on at night on Wednesday December 7, in front of the Carolina Beach Boardwalk near the Harper Avenue Beach Access. The whale was discovered by passers by. Experts from the University of NC Wilmington Marine Mammal Stranding Team examined it the following day.
A curious crowd gathered on the beach Thursday morning braving chilly temperatures and the occasional pungent odor to take in a scene many will never forget. School children, tourists and local residents huddled around yellow police tape. They watched as the University of North Carolina Wilmington Marine Mammal Stranding Team moved with precision examining a 16-foot minke whale that washed ashore in Carolina Beach on Wednesday evening near Harper Street.
Led by Bill McLellan, the team of scientists performed a necropsy—an animal autopsy— to determine the cause of death and to learn more about the whale species. McLellan, a UNCW research associate and N.C. State Stranding Coordinator, is considered a leading expert in marine mammal strandings and has been involved with more than 400 investigations. Dressed in rubber overalls and boots, McLellan’s team examined the whale from every angle, took multiple tissue samples and answered the questions of onlookers and reporters. They determined the animal to be a juvenile male, approximately two years old. They measured and confirmed shark bites on the animal’s mouth and throat area. Then, with surgical skill and implements, the team expertly peeled back layers of the animal’s anatomy to reveal an interesting story.
Muscles, bone and internal organs were harvested for laboratory testing and research. One lung was collapsed. The heart showed signs of disease. The stomach was full of fish. It and other organs were packed intact into large plastic containers for closer inspection at the UNCW Marine Lab.
McLellan also found seven healed propeller wounds on the whale’s back body. These wounds likely caused the collapsed lung leading to a systemic infection and congestive heart failure, killing the animal before it washed ashore, McLellan said. The shark bites occurred after the animal died, confirmed in part by their location, as sharks generally attack live whales in blind spots like the stomach or genital area.
The whale was first seen on the beach Wednesday evening by passers-by who notified Carolina Beach Police.
Paul Barrington, director of Husbandry and Operations at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher assisted the town with the immediate identification of the animal and moving it above the high tide line, securing it for the stranding team. Barrington’s initial assessment also identified the significant shark bites to the animal.
“A number of whales are making their annual southern migration to warmer waters,” said Barrington. “Our coastal waters are along that path. We frequently see whales here and experience the occasional stranding occurrence.”
Carolina Beach police stood watch at the stranding site through the night Wednesday to ensure no human to whale contact occurred, preventing disease transmission from the decomposing animal. Federal laws prohibit human to whale interaction.
After the necropsy was complete Thursday, whale remains not collected for study were buried on the beach, at least six feet deep, as is traditional in marine stranding situations.
“We are so grateful for the effective way the UNCW stranding team and Carolina Beach authorities handled this situation,” Aquarium Director Peggy Sloan said. “Their leadership ensured public safety and furthered the understanding and knowledge of marine mammals.”
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