A 17-metre-long dead whale was towed to the coast of Jutland, Denmark, on Wednesday for a full autopsy, as authorities investigate the cause of death amid rising concerns over marine safety and shipping traffic in the North Sea. The whale, identified as a fin whale, was discovered floating off the port of Esbjerg earlier this week. The Danish Fisheries Agency, in coordination with the Natural History Museum of Denmark, initiated the operation to bring the carcass ashore for examination.
Preliminary reports indicate significant blunt force trauma consistent with a collision with a large vessel, though toxicology and disease testing are pending. The incident follows a pattern of increasing whale strandings and ship strikes in the region, which environmental groups attribute to intensified commercial shipping and underwater noise pollution. Dr.
Henrik Skov, a marine biologist at Aarhus University, said such events are "a stark reminder of the pressures on marine megafauna from industrial activity." The autopsy results are expected within two weeks and will inform potential adjustments to shipping lanes or speed restrictions in Danish waters.
