CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A ship strike may be to blame for the death of a sperm whale that stranded north of Charleston earlier this year. The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network assisted in the response and necropsy of a 44-foot male sperm whale that was found dead in February. Limited samples were collected because of the whale’s location and size; however, the nonprofit group said they found a ‘defect’ on its back they deemed unusual. “When sampled, the surrounding blubber and tissue was clearly impacted by something. This was one of the few samples we could collect and thankfully we did because the pathology report indicated this sample was due to some sort of blunt force trauma prior to death,” the nonprofit said in a Facebook post. LMMN added that the blubber near the defect was stained red compared to a normal sampling elsewhere. They were unable to determine what caused the blunt force trauma but believed a ship strike to be a likely source. “We also cannot confirm if this trauma caused the animal to die or whether it could have recovered,” the group said. “Regardless, we know these animals are threatened by ship strikes.” Right whale migration is underway and leaders at LMMN warned the animals are at risk each year. “If you're an offshore boater-go slow and keep your eyes out for large whales,” they said.