Dead Whale Carries Mystery Fetus | Anchorage News

A dead goose-beaked whale, a rare deep-sea diver, washed ashore near Sitka in early June—still carrying a six-foot, 150-pound fetus. Scientists are baffled, especially since another beaked whale stranded nearby around the same time. Only two such sightings in 40 years before this. These whales dive thousands of feet and are highly sensitive to noise, so currents may have brought them in. Necropsy revealed squid in its stomach, ruling out starvation, but decomposition hid key clues like the bends or trauma. The fetus is frozen for a public autopsy this fall—offering hope to solve why these elusive giants are suddenly appearing on beaches. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5c8b9393bcff36fb