Whale Died From Collision With Ship

A 54-foot fin whale that washed ashore at Sandbridge on Easter weekend died from injuries sustained in a collision with a ship, according to results of a preliminary necropsy. The necropsy, released Monday, also revealed that the animal was pregnant at some point during its life, making it a mature adult. The whale had fractured vertebrae and a severed spinal column and probably died soon after the strike, according to Mark Swingle, director of research and conservation at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Broken bones and blood clotting beneath suspicious markings on the whale's skin suggested a "pretty massive hit," Swingle said. "It probably didn't live very long after this." The adult female also had a belly full of menhaden, a schooling fish common along the Atlantic coast. "So, more than likely, this animal was going about its business and got in the way of a ship," Swingle said. Swingle guessed that the 40- to 50-ton animal was a young adult. Full-grown adults can reach nearly 80 feet long and 70 tons. Whales generally can live more than 50 years, and some as many as 90 years. Fin whales are known as "the greyhounds of the sea," knifing through the water at 10 to 12 mph -- about four times faster than other species. Lab results from tissue samples could still be months away, but they are expected to confirm findings from the field necropsy, Swingle said.