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Ship strike may have killed beached whale

BABYLON, New York – Experts are investigating the death of a 12-foot minke (MIHNK’-ee) whale found on a Long Island beach.

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The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation said Friday that the whale had signs of blunt force trauma.

The whale did also have a number of shark bites, but Digiovanni said he believes the shark bites came after the whale’s death.

As WCBS 880’s Sophia Hall reported, the beached adult male discovered at Robert Moses State Park on Wednesday was likely killed after being hit by a ship. “It looks like some shark bites on the animal”. The whale has since been moved farther onto the beach, and biologists will conduct a necropsy on Thursday… More information will become available after biologists complete their investigation.

Minke whales are not rare in the waters of Long Island, but these marine creatures are very hard to be spotted due to their rapid movement when they surface from the water.

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Officials say a total of five whales have washed ashore this summer, including one at Davis…

A team from The Riverhead Foundation for Marine