HATTERAS, N.C. — Officials say the skull of a humpback whale washed onto the shore of Hatteras Island on Wednesday.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore said a large portion of the skull was found and explained that "humpback whales have specialized skull structures to support their unique feeding behaviors.
"Their skulls are relatively flexible, especially around the jaw joints, which enables them to open their mouths wide to consume large volumes of water and prey," the National Seashore said. "They also have mandibles (lower jaws) that are not fused to their skulls."
They also explained why the Outer Banks has a large number of strandings. The barrier island chain's location in the Atlantic Ocean is close to the continental shelf where there is a hotspot of marine mammal activity, also helped by the southern Gulf Stream and northern Labrador Current colliding off the coast.
Any marine mammal strandings or sea turtle sightings should be reported to the Cape Hatteras Stranding Hotline: 252-216-6892.
