National Park Service officials say a dead humpback whale was found floating off of Point Carolus, and it has been identified as a whale that was first observed in Lynn Canal more than 40 years ago.
According to a statement issued Monday by Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve officials, the charter vessel M/V Yakobi reported the dead whale on Sunday morning. The whale was towed to shore Sunday afternoon and prepared for a necropsy that’s expected to start Tuesday.
The whale was an adult male about 40 feet long.
Based on fluke markings, the whale was identified as #441, nicknamed “Festus,” who was first documented in 1972 in Lynn Canal by researcher Charles Jurasz.
At 44 years, Festus was the longest-sighted humpback whale recorded in Southeast Alaska.
Festus was last seen in Glacier Bay in June 2015.
Park Superintendent Philip Hooge said in a release “We would like to hear from anyone who was in the area in the past several days and may have observed anything unusual so that we can better understand causes of humpback whale mortality.”
Anyone who has seen a sick or injured whale in the area recently is requested to contact the park at 907-697-2230.
