As per Marine Mammal Center, scientists who looked at a dead humpback whale that was found on a Pacifica beach on Sunday have confirmed that a passing ship hit the whale. The young humpback whale was found in the region of Esplanade Beach at around 6:30 am on Sunday.

As per center officials, the carcass was decaying and researchers from Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences carried out a partial necropsy and found internal hemorrhaging on left side of the whale under its pectoral flipper.

The center officials said these types of injuries are consistent and could be a result of a ship strike. Since April, it is the third dead whale washed ashore in Pacifica. A male sperm whale was found on April 14 together with an adult female humpback that was found on May 5.

According to the Marine Mammal Center, necropsies on the whales were questionable, however scientists found evidence that the other humpback was killed as a result of injuries it suffered, when it was hit by a ship.

According to the center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggested that ships crossing shipping lanes close to the Bay Area need to slow down in order to avoid hitting endangered humpback and fin whales, found foraging in the region.

According to Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary superintendent Maria Brown, “By working with the maritime shipping industry, conservation groups, and others, we hope to minimize the outcomes of impacts from vessel-whale interactions. At lower ship speeds whales are more likely to survive collisions”.