KITTY HAWK, N.C. — A slight smell, depending on where you're standing, and tire tracks in the sand are all that remain on the beach following the necropsy of a 27-foot-long, at least 19,000-pound juvenile humpback whale that washed ashore at Bennett Street in Kitty Hawk on Friday, Dec. 27.
“Although it was a surprise, it wasn't a complete surprise. We generally see whales this time of the year," said Mike Remige, the director of Jennette's Pier.
Most days, Remige is the director of Jennette's Pier, but over the last eight years, he has been able to work alongside the Marine Mammal Stranding Network when marine life has washed ashore in the Outer Banks.
Previous coverage: Humpback whale that washed ashore in Kitty Hawk has necropsy before beach clean up
"There was a gap in the partnership in this area. With the advent of Jennette's Pier in 2011, we built a staff here, and we realized that we had not just the opportunity to fill that gap but also the desire to get involved in this very important scientific work," said Remige.
Remige was on site Saturday when crews performed the necropsy of the humpback whale, and while the cause of death remains unclear, there was some hemorrhaging present.
“It was in an advanced stage of decomposition when we got to it, so we don't know if the hemorrhaging that we saw was caused by something either premortem, which would have been the cause of death, or postmortem,” Remige said.
Previous coverage: Juvenile humpback whale dead after washing up on Outer Banks beach
In November and December, all types of whales usually migrate down the coast to the Caribbean for the winter, where they typically stay until March.
“We're talking about North Atlantic right whales, we're talking about humpback whales, mainly sperm whales as well, but the large whale species start their migration to the Caribbean. They're giving birth, they're mating, and they're there for the winter,” according to Remige.
Though it is not unusual to see a whale wash up on our shores this time of year, an “unusual mortality event” was declared for humpback whales on the Atlantic Coast in 2017. North Carolina has had 30 humpback whale deaths observed since 2016.
Watch related coverage: Dead humpback whale beached near 25th Street at Virginia Beach Oceanfront
“What a lot of the data is showing is the main cause of the unusual mortality event are ship strikes and boat strikes, which is unfortunate; it’s the reality of the situation,” says Remige.
Though these events never get easier, they do give researchers a chance to continue to learn more about the mammals.
“This is our opportunity to really dig in and learn more about their anatomy, learn more about their behavior, learn more about the species in general.”
The tissue samples taken can take weeks or even months to decipher a cause of death, but they also bring a chance for us to learn and find ways to coexist with marine life in the future.
