30-foot humpback whale found dead washed ashore on New Jersey's Long Beach Island
OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) — A necropsy is underway Thursday after a dead 30-foot humpback whale was found on Long Beach Island in Ocean County.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said it received a call around 6:45 a.m. Thursday for a dead humpback whale in the surf along 51st Street in Long Beach Township.
By Thursday afternoon, the MMSC moved the whale from the beach to perform a necropsy. It could take several weeks or months before results are returned.
The situation attracted several curious beachgoers to the area.
"It's actually quite sad to see such an impressive, big, complex animal washed up on a beach like this," Martin Caton said. "Really pleased to see that the appropriate authorities are here."
Ann Marie Pirus said she wasn't surprised when she heard about the beached whale.
"It's heartbreaking," Pirus said. "I mean, because you're expecting it because it's happening so often."
Since 2016, there's been an unusual rise in dead humpback whales along the East Coast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Eight humpback whales were found dead in New Jersey in 2023, and Thursday's whale is the first death in the state this year, according to NOAA data.
Critics of proposed offshore wind projects blame pre-construction activity for the increase in whale deaths, but government scientific agencies say there's currently no evidence to suggest a connection.
