We responded to a deceased small Minke Whale in that washed ashore in Great Bay last week. It was first spotted at the mouth of the Piscataqua on Saturday, July 22nd, and landed on shore up in Great Bay on Tuesday, July 25th. It was decomposing, so a full necropsy was not feasible, but with the help of our colleagues at New England Aquarium, we were able to collect some samples from this male juvenile minke whale. It was noticeable in this photo that the whale had evidence of a prior fishery entanglement on its lower jaw/chin. This likely did not play a role in its demise, as it was an old entanglement, but still important to note.
