Community Corner
Dead Whales That Wash Ashore Will Be Remembered In Barnegat Light
Barnegat Light has named the two whales that washed ashore this past year to memorialize their deaths.
BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ — When the carcass of a 40-ton whale washed ashore in August, hundreds of people swarmed the Barnegat Light beach to see the creature up close.
Though some people were amazed at the immense size of the whale, others were saddened, including two young girls who felt the whale should be given a name.
Inspired by their idea, Barnegat Light has decided to name the two whales that washed up this past year and any others that may wash up moving alphabetically. Council passed the resolution at its meeting earlier this month on Oct. 13.
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The 25-ton humpback whale that came ashore at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on Dec. 25 was given the name “Albert” and the Fin whale that drifted ashore in August will be remembered as “Beau.”
“We want to show some respect to this life,” councilwoman Dottie Reynolds told Patch. “It’s not just a big piece of litter that washed up on the shore. This had been a live creature that got up that morning, swimming around happily and was most likely struck by a freighter.
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“By giving these names, it gives a real life to these animals that people can emphasize and identify with,” Reynolds said.
Both whales were buried on the beaches in Barnegat Light, which the Marine Mammal Stranding Center considers the easiest and most natural way to dispose of them.
The male humpback whale that washed ashore in December was 32 feet long and estimated to be between 2 and 3 years old. Due to the advanced decomposition of the semi-frozen carcass, only a partial necropsy could be performed and officials could determine its cause of death.
The decomposing Fin whale that washed ashore on Aug. 29 had a significant injury consistent with a ship strike and several large shark bites. The whale was buried near the 19th Street dunes.
Fin whales are an endangered species and the second largest species of whale, according to center officials.
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