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Minke whale found dead along the Outer Banks

Wildlife officials said the whale washed back out to sea before a necropsy could be performed.

COROLLA, N.C. — A third dead whale has been spotted along the waters of Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks in less than a week.

A 26-foot female minke whale washed up on the northern beaches of the Outer Banks on Tuesday morning. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission tells 13News Now that it washed back out to sea overnight.

A necropsy to learn how it died cannot happen until its body washes on shore again. 

This comes just days after a dead humpback whale washed up on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront near 24th and 25th streets on Sunday morning. A second dead whale washed ashore near the Rudee Inlet that same day. 

It's not known at this time if the two humpback whale deaths are linked at this time. The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center said necropsies have been performed on both animals to investigate how they may have died.

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