A 41-foot male died of unknown causes probably far out at sea, and washed onto shore after a long time.

The rotting carcass was spotted on the beach of East Chugach Island in the Gulf of Alaska by a pilot and was reported to The Pratt Museum.

The first of three expeditions was made in early July of 1988. Volunteers and staff went to the island abord the boat M/V Tulchina with Ed and Lorraine Murphy. The whale was measured and photographed, and the lower jaw with teeth was removed for safekeeping.