Cause of death unknown for minke whale carcass in East Providence, RI
PROVIDENCE – The cause of death for a minke whale that recently washed up on shore in East Providence, R.I., will remain unknown, as its carcass has decomposed too much to study, experts said Monday. East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, in a Facebook post on Sunday, wrote “a very putrid smelling whale carcass washed up on the shore of Bold Point Park.” The whale is about 18 to 20 feet long, according to Chris Dodge, the Narragansett Baykeeper at the nonprofit Save The Bay who observed the whale on Saturday, after it was reported to Mystic Aquarium staff. But how exactly the mammal – likely a juvenile – may have died will remain a mystery, said Sarah Callan, the aquarium’s manager of animal rescue, on Monday. The same carcass was reported across the bay in Providence in January, but with limited access to the water there, crews were not able to move it, Dodge said. Kim Keough, spokesperson…