Whale that washed up on beach in Plymouth will likely be moved to Bourne. What to know.

A dead humpback whale that washed up on Bayside Beach in Plymouth earlier this week will likely be moved to Bourne for study.

As of Thursday, the whale "remained anchored on site where it first stranded," Whale and Dolphin Conservation North America Executive Director Regina Asmutis‑Silvia said.

"We are still trying to coordinate a possible move to a location in Bourne where he can be necropsied (have an animal autopsy)," she said. "We are hoping to be able to transport him tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 13) but all of the stars have to align."

The whale has been on the beach since Tuesday, and many questions still remain. What is known is that the humpback was young.

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"All of this cases are sad and tragic in their own right but it’s hard to lose such a young whale knowing he may never have migrated on his own or had the chance to participate in a rowdy group on the breeding area, or be part of a singing competition, or any of the other rights of passages male humpback whales should experience over their lifetimes," Asmutis‑Silvia said.

Here's what's happening now with the deceased whale.

How heavy is the whale?

Asmutis‑Silvia said the whale weighs somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 pounds. 

"Moving a whale, even a young animal, is not simple," she said. "There needs to be access for heavy equipment on the beach - which is not only about the conditions on the beach, but also depends on tides and waves, as well as available trucks/flatbeds which can manage the size and weight, and are able to contain the animal so that there are no major leaks of body fluids on the road."

She added there is a large cost associated with moving the whale, noting the situation depends on "whether funds are available to pay for all of the equipment and personnel required to move the whale."

Do officials know how the whale died?

Asmutis‑Silvia stated that her team is hoping that an internal investigation "may reveal more information about why the whale died ... we do not believe the whale stranded live (i.e. got stuck in a shallow area) so we’d like to investigate other potential causes of death. 

"However, it is important to realize that whales are mammals and they are encased in blubber so their internal organs decompose incredibly quickly. The longer the whale is on the beach (a matter of hours), the more difficult it is to evaluate organs and muscles."

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How do they study dead whales?

The team is hoping to be able to collect data on the whale – such as size, length, identification, wound analysis – to better understand what happened.

They want to conduct a necropsy.

Asmutis‑Silvia said there are times when an external exam may not show any signs of trauma, noting that a necropsy "may show bruising or broken bones consistent with blunt force trauma, or indications of drowning which can sometimes happen when whales are accidentally entangled."

She added that a necropsy can also reveal any infectious diseases that are present.