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9th dead humpback whale washes ashore in New Jersey
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Feb 14, 2023
Modified Feb 17, 2023
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By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Feb 14, 2023
Modified Feb 17, 2023
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A dead whale washed ashore in New Jersey on Monday, the ninth humpback whale to be found dead along the New York-New Jersey coastline since the beginning of December.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that the body of a female juvenile humpback whale was found floating near Manasquan Beach in New Jersey on Monday, where it washed ashore that afternoon. The 35-foot whale was first seen in the area on Jan. 7, according to the agency.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society were on the scene on Tuesday morning to gather information on the whale in preparation for a necropsy. While there were no obvious signs of trauma, an internal examination of the whale showed "evidence of a vessel strike," according to preliminary results released Wednesday. Tissue analysis is still needed to determine whether or not the whale was hit before or after its death.
“Working with Monmouth County, the decision was made to move the whale to the county landfill for examination and tissue sampling,” read a statement from a NOAA spokesperson. “Necropsy teams will have access to heavy equipment and resources that will enable a complete examination.”
Since 2016, there has been an uptick in humpback whale deaths along the U.S. East Coast. Its cause is still being investigated. More than 20 whale deaths have been reported for New Jersey in that time, along with roughly three dozen in New York.
The recent strandings in New Jersey, where the highest number of strandings have occurred along the East Coast this year and last, are being investigated by the agency as part of the same trend. There is evidence that a portion of whales found dead since 2016 were struck by vessels at some point, but the agency notes that the finding has not been consistent across the spectrum.
NOAA officials and scientists have attempted to dispel claims that offshore wind projects are driving the uptick in whale deaths, saying there is no evidence to support those theories.
This story and its headline have been corrected to reflect that nine dead humpback whales, in addition to two dead sperm whales, have washed ashore in New Jersey since December 1, 2022.
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Michelle Bocanegra
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