A fin whale died on Friday by medical intervention after being found stranded in a South Kingstown pond the day before.
Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management decided to medically intervene after discovering the whale in Potter Pond. The whale passed away around 9:20 p.m. surrounded by members of these teams.
“Whales are magnificent creatures and it’s very sad when these circumstances occur,” said Scott Olszewski, deputy chief of the DEM Division of Marine Fisheries. “Given this fin whale’s extremely compromised state, intervening medically was the most humane way of easing its suffering.”
The DEM and Mystic Aquarium’s team responded to a call from local residents that confirmed the stranding of a 42-foot, 25,000-pound female fin whale at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29.
The whale was “found to be emaciated and in a compromised state,” according to a statement from the Mystic Aquarium.
The team, alongside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, announced that they would wait and hope high tide would allow the mammal to refloat and find its way out of the area. As high tide came and went, the whale never refloated and instead remained beached just a few yards from the shore.
“It was impressive to see such a large creature like that but it was clearly not in good health. I would compare it to maybe seeing a beautiful celebrity but in a sad setting or condition they’d rather not be seen in,” said eyewitness and Rhode Island resident Micah Benson. “All in all it was breathtaking and, at the same time, heartbreaking.”
Many onlookers watched and took photos of the large mammal. Meanwhile, Mystic’s team worked alongside veterinary specialists and other network partners to evaluate and better understand the situation.
Following the euthanization, the DEM transported the remains of the whale to its location where staff, Mystic Aquarium’s ARP, NOAA and other partners making up a team of about 20 people performed a necropsy, or an autopsy done on an animal. Meagan Seacor, vice president of external relations at Mystic Aquarium, described the team’s findings so far.
“Preliminary results from the necropsy indicated the whale was a thin female, and had findings consistent with a brain infection, a heavy load of parasites in the kidneys, and no evidence of blunt force trauma or entanglement,” Seacor said in a Mystic Aquarium press release. “Additional histological and diagnostic testing of samples is pending.”
The Mystic Aquarium, alongside other partners including NOAA, are working to learn more about how this stranding potentially occurred.
On Friday, the same morning of the fin whale’s passing, the carcass of a pilot whale washed ashore at Moonstone Beach, just about five miles from Potter Pond.
The RI DEM said they believe there is no connection between the pilot whale and fin whale incidents.