Featured Image Credit: SVEN KOBERWITZ
A necropsy was performed on the killer whale that was found floating off the coast of British Columbia last week.
The 18 year-old male whale was a member of the southern resident orca population and is lovingly (and numerically) known as J-34.
Officials are reporting that the cause of death was due to blunt-force trauma to J-34’s head and neck. It is likely that the injury was caused by a vessel strike or other “heavy contact.” The necropsy team ordered other tests and are waiting on tissue results before they can fully understand what happened.
Paul Cottrell, the Pacific marine mammal coordinator with Fisheries and Ocean Canada, reported the whale having a hematoma, which indicated that the whale was alive for a period of time after the injury.
Unfortunately, three other members of the southern resident killer whale population have also passed away this year: a calf that was less than a year old, a 23 year-old female named J-28, and a male who was known as L95.The population is now fluttering around a shockingly low 80 members.
Cottrell commented to the Vancouver Sun, “I think as we get more information back from the necropsy, it’ll help inform us going forward, for sure.”
According to the necropsy, J-34 was almost 7 meters long and was in great health for the most part with a thick layer of blubber. Cottrell described the “beautiful specimen” to be in the prime of his life.
With the rising concern for the southern resident orca population, research is in progress to help protect them.
Sechelt First Nation was a part of the carcass recovery efforts and plans to keep the skeleton and display it in the future. Over the course of year, the mammal will be left outside so it can decompose naturally. Once organisms completely strip it clean, the bones will be properly pieced together.
Rest in peace J-34, may your remains live on to educate thousands and contribute to research that will protect your glorious species.