Carcass of endangered fin whale washes up near Alaska’s largest city

A dead fin whale rests on the frozen mudflats near Anchorage, Alaska, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

An endangered fin whale that washed up near a coastal trail in Alaska’s largest city has attracted curious onlookers while biologists seek answers as to what caused the animal’s death.

The carcass found over the weekend near Anchorage was 47 feet (14.3 meters) long — comparable to the width of a college basketball court — and female, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologists.

Barbara Mahoney, a NOAA biologist examining the whale, told the Anchorage Daily News the whale was likely 1 to 3 years old.

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Fin whales are the second-largest whale species, according to NOAA Fisheries, and fully grown can reach up to 85 feet (25.9 meters) long and weigh between 40 tons and 80 tons. Strikes by ships, entanglements in fishing gear, underwater noise and the effects of climate change are among the threats that fin whales face, according to the agency.

Mandy Keogh, a NOAA marine mammal stranding coordinator, said fin whales generally aren’t seen this close to Anchorage and that recent high tides may have pushed the animal further into the Knik Arm.

People trekked across the mudflats to see the whale, which NOAA biologists and staff from Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services had anchored to the shore Sunday so they would be able to gather samples from the animal. But even after samples are analyzed, it can be difficult to determine a cause of death because of decomposition or a lack of obvious injuries, Keogh said.