Dead humpback found near Kake

PETERSBURG, Alaska (AP) — Federal marine mammal officials say it’s too soon to determine the cause of death for a female humpback whale found near Kake earlier this month.

The whale was first reported around Sept. 1 in Keku Strait near Kake, KFSK reported.

Kate Savage, a marine mammal specialist with the NOAA Fisheries protected resources division in Juneau, said the dead whale was later floated to an island outside Kake for a necropsy.

The cause of death was immediately evident, but injuries appear similar to those of humpbacks that have collided with boats.

“You know it’s really tough to com...