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Whale found dead in an Eastern Shore marsh

Posted at 4:40 PM, Sep 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-19 19:22:01-04

WACHAPREAGUE, Va. – An adult female Minke Whale was found in a marsh on the Eastern Shore Saturday.

According to the Virginia Eastern Shorekeeper, the whale was found on a mudflap near Channel Marker WR6.

The whale was about 24 feet long and according to Seashepherd.org, female Minke Whales can weigh up to 10 tons.

This whale’s heart alone weighed 15-20 pounds.

A autopsy was performed on the whale but the results are not available yet.

Members of the Shorekeepers and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s stranding team are unsure yet if the whale was stranded there or if it was brought in by tidal flow.

There was no obvious cause of death.