Killer whale that died in Alaska river was pregnant

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The sad tale of the two killer whales that died after lingering in the Nushagak River in Alaska has taken an even sadder turn.

According to a report released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service in Alaska, early results of a necropsy show that one of the whales was pregnant. The necropsy was performed by Judy St. Leger, director of pathology and research at SeaWorld.

NOAA said the animals were examined for human interactions, but no evidence was found. Nor did scientists find anything that would indicate why the whales made it so far up the river, why they stayed as long as they did, or what killed them.

What the scientists did find was that one of the whales was carrying a late-term fetus, which might suggest pregnancy complications.

But in an interview with The Times, killer whale research scientist John Ford, who works with the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said it was unlikely that a pregnancy, even a difficult one, would explain why the whales were so far up river or why they didn’t leave.

Whale pregnancies tend to be less complicated than human pregnancies, he said.

Not only do whales not feel the strain of carrying a baby’s weight, Ford said, they don’t have pelvic bones. So if a whale fetus were in breech, it would be less of an issue than a breeched baby would be for humans.

He said one thing that can complicate a whale birth is that whales are oxygen-breathing animals that are born underwater -- so it’s essential that the baby gets to the surface to breathe.

The NOAA report was brief and technical, but the scientists behind it seemed frustrated that they didn’t know precisely what happened to the whales.

‘The team will perform a necropsy on the second adult killer whale found beached along the river Saturday,’ the report said. ‘It is hoped the veterinarians will have a better understanding of what happened following that necropsy.’

Three whales were originally spotted in the river; the third one has not been found. Perhaps it was able to swim to safety.

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-- Deborah Netburn