Cause Of Death For Whale That Washed Up On The Jersey Shore Revealed

MANASQUAN, NJ — Late Wednesday afternoon, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center released the results of the necropsy it did on the juvenile female humpback whale that washed up on the beach Monday near Manasquan Inlet.

"The whale was in good body condition and there were no obvious signs of external trauma," the group wrote. "However, the internal examination showed evidence of vessel strike. There is not always obvious external evidence of vessel strikes, which is why internal exams are important. The results of the tissue analysis will help us determine if the vessel strike occurred before or after death."

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is tasked by the state with performing all necropsies (autopsies for animals) on marine mammal life found dead on New Jersey beaches.

This was the ninth dead whale to wash ashore in New Jersey so far this winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) said in this report New York/New Jersey has been seeing an increased number of whale deaths since 2016, in what they call an "Unusual Mortality Event."

But NOAA also says it is still not sure what is at cause.

"The investigation is ongoing, and data from this whale will contribute to understanding of the causes of the Unusual Mortality Event," said the Marine Mammal Stranding Center Wednesday.

Some Jersey Shore residents speculate it is the construction of offshore wind turbines, specifically the undersea seismic sonar testing that comes with it.

But no link has been determined.

Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kanitra — one of 12 Jersey Shore mayors who want the wind turbine construction paused — said just because the whale was hit by a boat, it does not tell the whole story.

"They're giving the end result, not what the cause was. It's like you're examining an individual who was in a vehicle and died of blunt force trauma but you're not talking about the automobile accident that caused it," Kanitra told NJ 101.5 Wednesday night in light of the necropsy findings. "Here it's what is interfering with the whales' navigation ability, resulting in this increased prevalence of boat strikes."

The whale was an approximately 35-foot female. It was identified by Gotham Whale Watch as NYC 0298 and was first seen feeding in the area on January 7 of this year, the first and only time this whale was documented.

The animal was in a state of advanced decomposition, which limited the necropsy. However, tissue samples were taken and will be sent out for analysis.

The remains of the whale were disposed of in the Monmouth County landfill.

Humpback whales are frequent visitors to New Jersey waters, where schools of small bait fish are a good food source. All vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in port areas to avoid fatal whale collisions.

Dead Female Whale Removed From Manasquan Beach, Necropsy Is Next (Feb. 14)

Rally Over Whale Deaths Planned In Point Pleasant Beach (Feb. 15)