A large portion of a humpback whale's skull washed ashore at Cape Hatteras. (Courtesy of E. Dlutkowski, via National Park Service)
Hatteras Island, N.C. (WNCN) — A huge (though still partial) skull of a humpback whale was revealed Wednesday along the south coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore shared news of the washed-up skull on its Facebook page, calling it the latest “interesting discovery” on the beach in recent days.
A whale skull that washed up on shore was identified as that of a humpback whale due to its unusual skull structure, but Seashore, part of the National Park Service, was able to find a whale skull that washed ashore to support the animal's “unique feeding habits.” said it was necessary.
“Their skulls are relatively flexible, especially around the jaw joints, allowing them to open their mouths wide to ingest large amounts of water and prey,” Seashore's post added. “They also have a mandible (lower jaw) that is not fused with the skull.”
So how did such a large partial whale skull end up on the shore?
The Seashore explained it this way: Many marine animals are always on the move, looking for their next meal. As they feed, some approach the beaches of the headlands where the Southern Gulf Stream and Northern Labrador Current collide off the coast.
Marine experts also found that nearby barrier islands are not far from the continental shelf, creating a pattern of strandings within the boundaries of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, humpback whale populations are found in oceans around the world. The North Atlantic population is known to migrate thousands of miles to the west coast of Africa in the winter, according to NOAA.