Whale carcass on Danish island: Autopsy of humpback whale completed: What happens next?

It is now clear: the whale with the male name is, as suspected, a female. And: A clear cause of death could not initially be determined.

Now the last step remains on the holiday island where the dead whale washed up around three weeks ago: the removal of the remains. However, the containers with the remains will not be picked up until the next few days.

“Timmy” is a female

Equipped with protective suits, the experts began the autopsy on Thursday afternoon. First, the yellow-brownish carcass was examined and measured. It was then cut open with an elongated knife to release air from the severely bloated animal. The whale was then opened and cut up. At times there were organs and entrails around the animal.

The team of experts was initially unable to determine a clear cause of death during the investigations, as Danish biologist Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, who was present at the autopsy, explained to reporters late in the evening. However, this is not unusual; it is often very difficult to determine a clear cause of death in carcasses like this, said veterinary doctor Tim Jensen from the University of Copenhagen.

There was no visible injury, but that was also due to the decomposition. Although parasites were found, they were not responsible for the death.

It is now also clear that the animal – as already suspected – is a female. The uterus was therefore discovered. However, it was said that the whale had not been pregnant in the last few months. When we looked into the whale’s mouth and stomach, no nets or other objects were found, explained Jensen.

As planned, the team also took samples, for example from the kidneys and liver, and meticulously examined the inside of the whale, which had already been severely affected by the animal, which had been decomposing for weeks, as images showed. “We have taken tissue samples and they are now being analyzed,” said Jensen. However, results are only expected in the coming months.

Biologist: Autopsy valuable for research

During the autopsy, an excavator gradually lifted the parts of the carcass into the prepared containers. For the team, the work is done; the experts leave the island in the morning. After the autopsy, the last remains of the whale were cleared away in the darkness.

For the experienced team, such a procedure is a standard procedure, but one that is very valuable, said biologist Thøstesen in the afternoon. Humpback whales are therefore animals that are difficult to study in their natural habitat in the sea. “So when we find stranded whales here in Denmark, we use them to gain insights into the wild animals,” says Thøstesen.

What happens to the remains?

The remains of the carcass are now waiting to be picked up. The containers are expected to be removed at the beginning of next week, said Morten Abildstrøm from the Danish Nature Agency. It was said that transport on the weekend made little sense due to the limited opening times of the responsible companies.

The animal’s carcass had been lying off the holiday island for weeks and was very bloated with putrefactive gases and was being mauled by seagulls – so the autopsy was not for the faint of heart.

A company like Daka Denmark usually takes care of the recycling of whale carcasses. A spokesman recently explained that whale remains were separated into their components in a factory. However, the company has not yet received an order for the disposal of the carcass, it said on Wednesday.

However, not everything is thrown away: According to Thøstesen, some of the animal’s bones end up in the collection of the Natural History Museum in the Danish capital Copenhagen. These include fin bones or pelvic bones.