A huge 28ft whale washed up dead on a beach covered in bite marks and nobody can be sure why.
The grey whale was found at Point St George, near Crescent City in California, on April 18.
The carcass was inspected by Dawn Goley, director of Cal Poly's Marine Mammal Stranding Program, and her students, who found no sign of fatal injuries despite the bites.
READ MORE: Aliens could be behind gruesome cow killings that see tongues and organs removed
They did determine it was a juvenile, and that it was emaciated (although that isn't unusual at this time of year).
Goley told the Wild Rivers Outpost her team were unable to find a "definitive cause of death" – meaning it remains a mystery.
However, Goley is convinced the whale's death is linked to a video that emerged a few days before it washed up.
Crescent City Harbour Commissioner Harry Adams, owner of charter boat business Stella's Adventures, was out on the water with a group when they spotted orcas attacking three grey whales.
He told Wild Rivers Outpost: "Here’s five orcas swimming at 35mph straight at these whales.
"They’re flying! As soon as they get close, four of them break off and go [for the] calf while the big female goes after the two adults."
Although she does believe the two incidents to be linked, Goley said she was "a little surprised" there were no obvious signs of an orca attack on the grey whale.
Orcas are the only predator of grey whales and often attack by separating a juvenile from the adults.
Josh McInnes, an orca researcher from the University of British Columbia’s Marine Mammal Research Unit, came up with a theory that might just explain the whale's death.
He reckons the stress of being attacked, exacerbated by the fact it was already emaciated, may have killed the whale.
"If it's already emaciated and super stressed, we don't know, but [the attack] could cause some sort of adverse reaction the animal could die of," he said.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
-
Gran savaged to death by son's 'very powerful' dog found 'in pool of blood'
-
Killer dogs dubbed 'lethal weapons' on the loose in UK city after bloodthirsty attack
-
'Bizarre' seagull sex act saw man drop pants in alleyway and cause bird 'suffering'
Source: Read Full Article