Whale Found Dead in Gulf

The NOAA Ship Pisces found a dead sperm whale floating 77 miles south of the oil spill site at Deepwater Horizon Tuesday. It was not found in oil, but the cause of death is unknown. This is the first dead whale that has been reported since the oil spill April 20. NOAA is currently testing to determine the circumstances for the whale's death. Its condition suggests it may have been dead several days to more than a week.

Officials say it is impossible to confirm whether exposure to oil was the cause of death, NOAA is reviewing whether factors such as ship strikes and entanglement can be eliminated. Samples collected from this carcass will be stored and handed off when the Pisces comes to port on July 2. The other option would be to have another boat sent out to the Pisces to retrieve the mammal. Full analysis of the samples will take several weeks.

The NOAA field crew is required to take photographs of the approximately 25-foot whale, collect skin swab for oil analysis, collect blubber and skin samples for analysis, and measure its height in the water. Although the whale is already decomposing, the photographs and samples will help scientists better understand how long it has been dead.