Photos show a bloody 40-foot sperm whale carcass that washed ashore the Oregon coast in a blow to the endangered species

Erin SnodgrassJan 19, 2023, 05:01 IST

In this photo provided by Oregon State Parks, a dead sperm whale is seen washed up on the Oregon coast near Fort Stevens State Park in Clatsop County, Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.Oregon State Parks via AP

A 40-foot sperm whale carcass washed ashore an Oregon beach this month after being hit by a ship.
Sperm whales are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

A massive 40-foot sperm whale carcass washed ashore an Oregon beach on Saturday, bloodied and broken in a loss to the endangered species.

The juvenile male was found on a beach in Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon on Saturday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a Facebook post. Video footage of the whale showed large gashes across its body.

State park staffers removed the whale's lower jaw soon after discovering the animal in order to keep its teeth intact for scientific purposes, the aquarium said.

The whale likely died after being struck by a ship at sea and its body floated to shore, experts said.

In this photo provided by NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries employees conduct a necropsy of a dead sperm whale beached on the Oregon coast near Fort Stevens State Park in Clatsop County, Oregon, on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, two days after it washed ashore.NOAA Fisheries via AP, NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359

This sperm whale's presence along the Oregon coast is somewhat unusual.

Healthy male sperm whales can grow up to 60 feet and weigh over 20 tons.

Sperm whales are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

In this image taken from an Italian coast guard video a whale trapped in a fishnet in the waters near the Eolian islands, in the Mediterranean Sea in 2020.Italian Coast Guard via AP

Despite their massive size, sperm whales face a variety of threats in the waters.

Rescuers sprinkle water on a sperm whale stranded on a beach on April 19, 2022 in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province of China.Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Beached whales and marine life carcasses washed ashore often draw large crowds of people.

An Indonesian puts an offering on a stranded sperm whale for praying, in Bali, Indonesia Monday, March 14, 2016.AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

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