Humpback Whale Washes Ashore In Sea Isle City

SEA ISLE CITY, NJ (CBS) -- Officials say a 33-foot humpback whale washed ashore in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. Officials believe the whale had been dead for four to five days.

Officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine say the male juvenile whale likely died from "human interaction." A necropsy completed Saturday revealed the mammal was at some point entangled in commercial fishing line, based on scarring on the whale's body.

Founding Director of the MMSC, Bob Scholekopf, said the animal washed up looking emaciated and had only a small amount of food in its stomach -- most likely not eating much because of the injury.

According to the MMSC, the whale was also hit by a ship, but Scholekopf believes that happened after the whale had died.