Necropsies of VB whales complete; cause of death still under investigation

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The necropsies for the two juvenile humpback whales that washed up in Virginia Beach have been completed, but a cause of death has yet to be determined.

The necropsy, performed by the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s Stranding Response team, found that both whales had abnormal skin lesions, with evidence of healed scars from previous entanglements.

Both whales were determined to be immature males.

The first whale, found on March 3 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, measured 32 feet in length and weighed in at approximately 32,000 pounds. The second whale, found on March 4 at False Cape State Park, measured 27 feet in length and weighed in at approximately 21,800 pounds.

The cause of death for the two whales is still under investigation.

Two more beached whales were also found washed up in the Outer Banks. No cause of death has been determined for these whales as well.