NORFOLK -- A necropsy was performed on a 42-foot whale found dead on a Norfolk beach on Sunday.
The Va. Aquarium Standing Response Team conducted the procedure on the beach at Ocean View Park.
Members said further examination of the whale head determined it was a male fin whale, not a sei whale after all.
They hope the necropsy will reveal what killed the mammal. There were injuries to the whale consistent with a boat strike, team officials have said.
After the necropsy was completed, the whale's head was removed and taken for research. The rest of the carcass was buried in the sand by the City or Norfolk.
