50-Foot Finback Whale Found Dead In Boston Harbor

October 08, 2012

The Associated Press

In this photo provided by the New England Aquarium, boaters watch as a dead 50-foot finback whale floats in the Boston Harbor, near Deer Island, Sunday, Oct. 7. (AP/The New England Aquarium)

Coast Guard officials say a 50-foot finback whale has been found dead, floating in Boston Harbor.

Authorities don't know the cause of death.

Petty Officer Robert Simpson says the whale was spotted early Sunday morning. He says the Coast Guard took a team from the New England Aquarium to examine the whale and take samples.

New England Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse told WCVB-TV that biologists spotted bruising and pressure lines on the finback which can be caused by something wrapping around the whale.

Simpson says the whale has been beached at Long Island, in the middle of Boston Harbor, and a necropsy is planned.

The finback is the second-longest whale in the world behind the blue whale. It can reach about 70 feet and weigh up to 70 tons.

This program aired on October 8, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.