Minke whales may not be New England's best known or most charismatic whales, but some Massachusetts residents have gotten an up close look at them in recent months as several dead minkes have washed up on shore.
There have been 20 deaths of minke whales in New England this year with nearly half of those in Massachusetts. And it's the second straight year of unusually high death rates for the species. So, what is killing minke whales?
Ainsley Smith is the acting regional marine mammal response coordinator for NOAA Fisheries. She spoke to Living Lab Radio about the subject.