A young humpback whale mysteriously washed ashore on an island in the Amazon Jungle, leaving scientists stumped as to how it got there.
The 26-foot-long corpse of the whale was found last week about 16 yards from the beach on Marajó Island in Brazil, the nonprofit Bicho D’agua Institute said Saturday. The organization believes the whale is about a year old and said it is “not as big as it looks in the images.”
According to local outlet O Liberal, scientists believe the young humpback had left its mother not long before it was found.
The species is no stranger to the Brazilian coast, most frequently visiting between July and November. However, it is rare for it to be in the area at this time of year and at such a young age, O Liberal reported.
Biologist Renata Emin echoed that point, calling it “unusual” for a humpback whale to be on the north coast of Brazil in February.
Humpbacks leave for Antarctica from December to June to reproduce, she told G1.
“This seems to be a puppy that was just left by the mother, could be lost,” she told the outlet.
Parts of the carcass will be sent to a local lab for testing to determine the cause of death. Researchers are hopeful the whale’s skeletal remains will be put in a local museum as part of a collection.
