Report: Whale had major injury

The death of a sperm whale calf beached in a rocky area near Montauk was the result of a "significant traumatic injury" that may have come from a predator and led to malnourishment, according to Kim Durham of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.

The whale died Saturday after it became stranded at Ditch Plains, where blood pooled around it.

Durham said it was a bad sign that the calf was so close to shore by itself. Usually, a sperm whale calf will stay in a herd with its mother and other females, she said.

"For that calf to be close to shore by itself, something had to happen," said Durham.

She said the whale had sustained a significant predatory wound on its right side measuring about 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 feet. Durham said she believes it was a shark wound, and that the whale suffered a lot of blood loss.

"That might have led to the animal slowing down, not being able to stay with the group," said Durham.

The injured whale became unable to feed itself properly and became malnourished, she said. The whale also had ulcerations along its stomach lining which Durham said occurs in animals that are starving.

"This animal had not been taking care of itself or had not been taken care of," she said.

It also had ingested a few small pieces of plastic, but Durham said there were no signs of blockage as a result.

The whale was removed by crane Saturday and taken to The Riverhead Foundation for a necropsy. With the necropsy complete, the animal's carcass will be incinerated, said Durham.

The foundation posted a message on its Facebook page Sunday thanking East Hampton Town and "the kind residents of Montauk Shores" for their support.