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 ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The unusually swollen tongue of a dead humpback whale may indicate that it perished after colliding with a ship in the waters of southeast Alaska, scientists said Monday.
The humpback, an endangered species, also suffered heavy internal bleeding and bruising under its right pectoral fin, suggestive of blunt-force injury, said Aleria Jensen, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Alaska.
Scientists believe some sort of impact forced air into the tongue of the 40-foot male humpback, said Jensen, a marine mammal stranding coordinator for the agency. They had initially guessed that the swelling indicated a severe infection.
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