This story was originally published on LincolnChronicle.org and is used with permission.
Several chronic diseases were detected in the juvenile humpback whale that washed ashore tangled in commercial crabbing lines on the beach north of Yachats last November.
Those conditions likely contributed to the whale’s stranding, according to the final necropsy results by Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and released Monday by NOAA Fisheries.
“When I look at all the results in the context of what we know about the whale, there are many signs it was having problems long before the stranding,” said Dr. Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the veterinary school and lead pathologist on the case. “My interpretation of events is that the animal’s pre-existing disease challenges contributed to the whale’s entanglement and then to the live stranding.”
The report went on to say significant chronic disease in multiple organs likely contributed to the stranding independent of entanglement. The whale’s empty stomach and intestine indicated it had likely not eaten in weeks, leaving the whale with minimal stores of fat.
The examination of the 1- to 2-year-old male humpback also found evidence of spinal cord disease likely caused by an infection, according to Williams’ report. The intestine and colon also showed signs of widespread inflammatory disease attributed to intestinal parasites, the report said, and there was evidence of chronic congestive heart failure as well as acute heart failure related to the stress of the stranding.
Williams collaborated with marine mammal pathologists and scientists from around the world, according to NOAA.
“We hope the findings from this case expand our understanding of whale diseases and spur future investigations to understand and improve the health of whales and the oceans around the globe,” the report said.
The Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network responded to the Nov. 15 stranding along with hundreds of people who attempted unsuccessfully – despite the help of a rope and pully system – to return the whale to the ocean over several days before it was euthanized by veterinarians Nov. 17.
The 26-foot whale was removed from the beach the next day after scientists, veterinary students and members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians worked together to cut up the body. Tribal members performed ceremonies for the whale and collected some of its remains for cultural use. Smaller parts were left on the beach to return to the ocean with the tide.
The whale washed ashore entangled in gear attributed to the 2023-2024 Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishery, according to NOAA Fisheries. The gear is believed to have been derelict gear left in the ocean, according to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department.
ODFW implemented temporary rules to reduce the risk of whale entanglements in commercial ocean Dungeness crab gear that went into effect April 1.
Garret Jaros covers the communities of Yachats, Waldport, south Lincoln County and natural resources issues for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Garret@lincolnchronicle.org
