A North Atlantic right whale calf found dead in May was killed by a vessel strike, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokeswoman Jennifer Goebel said Wednesday.
The whale calf was found floating off Morris Island near Chatham May 5, according to NOAA. A necropsy showed nine propeller wounds, as well as multiple fractured bones consistent with a vessel strike.
The necropsy, conducted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, showed no indications of entanglement, disease, or ill health, authorities said. There were signs of a possible viral infection, which would have had only a minor impact on the whale.
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NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement investigated the death, but was “unable to find witnesses or conclusive evidence of vessel misconduct,” Goebel said. “As a result, the investigation was closed.”
The calf was likely born in the winter in the southeast United States, according to Charles “Stormy” Mayo, who directs right whale studies at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.
The center had seen the whale calf off the coast with its mother in April, Mayo said, but the whales were beginning to leave the area as part of their seasonal migration.
“We saw them repeatedly through the season. In fact, our air survey team warned boats about them,” Mayo said. “Once it was outside the Bay, on the usual early spring movement, it apparently got hit by a boat.”
Amy Knowlton, a research scientist at the New England Aquarium, said fewer whales have been struck by vessels since new regulations were put in place. This is the first such incident Aquarium officials are aware of since 2011.
Olivia Quintana can be reached at olivia.quintana@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @oliviasquintana.