The 41-foot-long humpback whale that washed up on a Long Island beach Monday was likely struck and killed by a vessel, federal authorities suspect.
The massive mammal, a male named Luna, may have been trying to breach the surface when a ship slammed into him, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday.
“An accident maybe, or she was sick,” marine scientist Cara Patino told ABC 7. “My heart is really sad for the whale.”
Marine officials also revealed that they are very familiar with Luna — scientists have been tracking the whale for its four decades of life, though they last pinged Luna in September in Nova Scotia.
[What a shame. After all that time, I’m sure researchers feel like they’ve lost a friend. ~ Beege]
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