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Necropsy: Whale Found At Coney Island Beach Was Killed By Boat Propeller

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A collision with a ship's propeller is likely to blame for the death of a 20-foot Minke whale that washed up on the beach in Coney Island, Brooklyn, biologists said.

Biologists from the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation say the adult female whale was discovered Monday afternoon, just east of the Coney Island amusement parks.

Necropsy results determined the whale's head had been sliced by a propeller.

The top of the whale's skull was missing, and she had bruises and cuts consistent with those expected from a boat strike, according to a DNAInfo report.

Fish bones were also found in the whale's digestive tract, indicating that she was likely eating at the time of the strike.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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