50 Foot Finback Whale Found Dead in Boston Harbor

Coast Guard officials say a 50-foot finback whale has been found dead, floating in Boston Harbor.

Authorities don't know the cause of death.

Petty Officer Robert Simpson says the whale was spotted early Sunday. He says the Coast Guard took a team from the New England Aquarium to examine the whale and take samples.

                                     Simpson says the whale has been beached at Long Island, in the middle of                       Boston Harbor, and a necropsy is planned.

New England Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse told WCVB-TV that biologists spotted bruising and pressure lines on the finback which can be caused by something wrapping around the whale.

The finback is the second-longest whale in the world behind the blue whale. It can reach about 70 feet and weigh up to 70 tons.