Researchers are hoping that the testing of samples will shed some light on the cause of death for a minke whale, which washed ashore near Long Eddy on Grand Manan on September 27. The 26‑foot adult female was fairly large for her species and was also pregnant. Although the minke whale population is not at risk, concerns have been raised following a spike in the number of deaths, with over 50 dead minkes having been found off the east coast of the U.S. in just over a year and a half.
     The carcass, which was quite fresh, was towed to Whale Cove, where a necropsy was done on September 30 by a team including Atlantic Veterinary College, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) and New Brunswick Museum workers, as well as the local Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station (GMWSRS).
     Laurie Murison, executive director of GMWSRS, says the whale appeared to have been healthy and had no signs of entanglement from rope or nets. There were scratches along the belly and tail. Tests can determine whether blood in the jaw was from hemorrhage, bruising or pooling from the whale's position after death. A look through the digestive system showed no obvious parasites. Further tests will examine brain and muscle tissue and look for toxic metals or disease. Murison says the whale did not die of old age and was not in labour. Minkes mate in the winter and gestation lasts 11‑12 months. They don't yet know the age of the fetus; an overall measurement was impossible because of decomposition, but measurement of the skull may provide an estimate. Of the mother whale's age, she says, "It is difficult to age a baleen whale. The eye lenses were collected, but I am not sure if they can be used to age her." NOAA Fisheries estimates a minke's lifespan at up to 50 years.
     Besides the necropsy tests, a variety of researchers will receive tissue for study and education. Don McAlpine took the skull and some other bones for the New Brunswick Museum; some tissue will be archived for future researchers, and necropsy participants as well as educators may get some of the baleen. Others may study the retinas. Scientists who are tagging great white sharks in Nova Scotia received some of the blubber -- a favourite white shark food -- for bait. The remains were taken to a landfill by Dutchmen Contracting. Murison says that sometimes whale carcasses can be left to sink, but with the location and wind direction in Whale Cove, and the active weirs nearby, it wasn't a good option.
     She says the cause of death may never be known for certain, adding that it's difficult to know the population in the area because they are hard to identify. Dorsal fin shape and colouring show some variation but not as much as fin whales, and they don't show their tails. She says researchers on the west coast have compiled a catalogue, and the College of the Atlantic has collected photos.
     Minkes are not at risk in Canada, and Murison says, "We feel they're still a relatively healthy population." MARS points out that even so, "it is important that we understand the health of all our marine animal populations and ensure they are not being harmed by our activities. There is also heightened concern for this species as there is an ongoing Unusual Mortality Event of minke whales in the U.S." Between January 2017 and September 30 this year, 52 dead minkes had been found between Maine and South Carolina, according to NOAA. Over 60% were necropsied, but while several showed infectious disease or human interaction, findings were not consistent in all cases, and more research is needed.