Rostock, Germany, Aug 18. (dpa/GNA) – A humpback whale found dead in the Baltic Sea last week, most likely died from a bacterial infection, the German Oceanographic Museum said on Tuesday based on an initial examination.
The whale was discovered on Thursday floating on its back, in the Bay of Greifswald between the island of Rügen and the mainland. It is thought to have died on Wednesday or Thursday.
According to the museum, the whale was a male approximately 10 metres long and weighed 7 tons. It was estimated to be three to four years old. No external injuries, such as those caused by ship propellers or fishing nets, were found.
Scientists found two round openings in the whale’s back. An abscess had apparently ruptured there from the inside outward, extending from the bone to the surface. According to the findings, large areas of the outermost layer of skin were missing, and the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine were empty.
A small number of parasites were also found in one area of the fat layer near the left shoulder blade. Otherwise, the animal was free of parasites.
According to the museum, the whale is probably the one previously spotted off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, later in Wismar harbour, and also off the Polish coast.
GNA