New Jersey’s Long Beach Township.Officials verified that a decomposing humpback whale washed ashore early Friday on the beach at 130th Street in Long Beach Island’s Beach Haven Terrace neighborhood.
According to Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini, beachgoers found the whale, which was thought to be between 25 and 30 feet long, early in the morning.
A massive, dead whale was reported to be washing ashore at 130th Street at Beach Haven Terrace in Long Beach Township, New Jersey, at around 7:00 am on Friday, June 27. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center arrived to the scene. The Stranding Coordinator from MMSC was sent to the scene right away. The Long Beach Township Department of Public Works helped secure the severely decomposed whale and move it to the DPW yard so that MMSC Staff could study it.
After analysis, it was determined that the creature was a 29.5-foot female humpback whale. Due to its advanced stages of decomposition, the corpse was no longer suitable for additional biological sampling. Photographs revealed that this whale was the identical one that was first seen floating about 3.5 miles offshore from Harvey Cedars on June 23rd, dead.
-Center for Marine Mammal Stranding
The landowner is ultimately in charge of how to dispose of a whale carcass. The decision to bury the remains was made by Long Beach Township.
According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, the whale displayed notable symptoms of decomposition and is thought to have been a younger animal.
In order to safely get the whale to the beach for inspection at low tide, the center is organizing its efforts. The cause of death is yet unknown.
In order to safely bring the mammal onto the beach for a more thorough inspection, we are awaiting a low tide, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said in a statement.
