Finback whale's death a mystery

The researchers plan to conduct a necropsy on the 50-foot juvenile male this afternoon.

Yesterday, researchers examined the carcass for signs of trauma, but had not discovered any. "From what we have seen, there is no indication of any type of vessel strike or propeller strike," said C.T. Harry, assistant stranding coordinator for the International Fund for Animal Welfare's marine mammal rescue and research program. "But we still need to see the other side and do the complete internal exam."

The exam will indicate whether the whale was sick or had organ failure, Harry said.

The cause of death may not be known today because of the time it takes to run biological and microbiological tests, Harry said.

Finback whales are the second-largest whales, after blue whales, and are on the endangered species list.

It is not uncommon to see the species in the area, the researchers said. Adult finback whale males can grow to up 80 feet in length and weigh more than 50 tons.

The whale washed up around 3 p.m. Thursday.

Observers had seen the whale floating dead off the shore in Cape Cod Bay, and the carcass came in "extremely quickly," said Craig Thatcher, the North District ranger at Cape Cod National Seashore.

The whales usually travel slowly in the water. They initially thought the whale would float past Provincetown, but the winds pushed it ashore.

Researchers had considered whether to perform a necropsy Thursday, but the waves and the surf were too dangerous at that time.

They anchored the whale to the beach overnight.