Search for answers as another whale washes up dead on the Jersey Shore
SEASIDE PARK, N.J. -- Another whale washed up dead along the Jersey Shore last week, and still so many questions loom about the cause of the incredible number of incidents.
CBS2 spoke with a whale research group on Monday to learn what could be happening at sea.
The humpback whale that met its demise off our coast got carried by the current to shoreline of Seaside Park on Thursday.
"It was incredibly sad to see that beautiful dead mammal washing around in the surf," said Seaside Park Borough Administrator Karen Kroon.
Kroon shares volunteer firefighters moved it onto dry land, where scientists could learn more about how the whale died before laying it to rest beneath the sand.
A necropsy performed Friday revealed the female humpback had both internal and external injuries like from a ship strike. But, it could take some time to determine whether or not those injuries were sustained pre or post mortem.
"Whales washing up on the Jersey Shore is nothing new. What's new is the frequency of this happening right now," Kroon said.
According to NOAA, the Seaside Park stranding marks the 14th in New Jersey and New York shores since December 1. However, unusual mortality events for humpbacks dates back to 2016. Data collected reveals 40% fell victim to ship strikes.
Paul Sieswerda, director of Gotham Whale, shares since 2011 his non-profit catalogued an increase in whales around the Western New York Bight.
"We see the population grow as the number of fish grow in the area," Sieswerda said.
He finds the increase in deaths troubling, and believes it is in part due to increased traffic at sea.
"Increased ships, increased whales, increased risk," he said.
Research conducted by Gotham Whale in 2016 found more than 95% of humpback whales spotted swam within 100 meters of at least one vessel transit.
As for year over year traffic data, we did get some stats from Port of New York and New Jersey. A spokesperson told CBS2 News that vessel calls increased by less than 1% between 2021 and 2022. But, this only accounts for 10% of harbor traffic.
