A disturbing find was made as a Royal Australian Navy destroyer docked in San Diego on Saturday: Two dead whales—one of them as long as a tractor-trailer—had been.
And their size is no trivial matter.
The largest carcass belonged to a female adult measuring 65 feet long, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The other was much smaller at 25 feet long, likely a calf.
The whales were discovered as the ship, HMAS Sydney, berthed at Naval Base San Diego, the Australian Royal Navy said in a statement.
Experts say the physics of the situation are somewhat common â even if the presence of more than one whale makes this scenario rare.
Large vessels frequently strike fin whales inadvertently and unknowingly, and the dead whale remains wrapped around the bow, held in place by pressure as the boat moves forward.
Two fin whales found dead under hull of Australian ship at Naval Base San Diego
Two dead fin whales found dead under hull of Australian shi
By: KGTV Staff
and last updated 2021-05-12 23:45:08-04
SAN DIEGO â Two dead fin whales became dislodged from the hull of an Australian Navy ship as it pulled into Naval Base San Diego on Saturday.
Video on the San Diego Web Cam Facebook page shows the HMAS Sydney, an Australian destroyer, making its way into San Diego Bay on Saturday morning. The ship has been in the area conducting joint exercises with the U.S. Navy since early April.
Whales Found Dead Under Australian Navy Ship in San Diego
U.S. Navy (USN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officers participate in an award ceremony aboard the Hobart-class guided missile destroyer HMAS Sydney in port at Naval Station San Diego, April 7, 2021. (Devin Alexondra Lowe/U.S. Navy)
13 May 2021
SAN DIEGO Two dead fin whales were dislodged from the hull of a Royal Australian Navy ship that has been conducting exercises in Southern California, authorities said.
The destroyer HMAS Sydney was pulling into a pier at Naval Base San Diego on Saturday morning when the carcasses of the two whales dislodged from the hull under the surface, the Australian Department of Defence told KSWB-TV.