A healthy Minke whale magnificently breaches from North Atlantic’s waters along the East Coast in this 2021 photo.
This dead Minke whale washed up on Saturday, Oct. 5th on Lavalette, NJ's oceanfront beach. Photo Credit: KAREN RILEY/FACEBOOK
This dead Minke whale, initially adrift in Raritan Bay, washed up Saturday on a Long Island beach, environmental authorities say.Photo Credit: NY DEPT of ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
A healthy Minke whale magnificently breaches from North Atlantic’s waters along the East Coast in this 2021 photo.Photo Credit: WIKIPEDIA
This dead Minke whale washed up on Saturday, Oct. 5th on Lavalette, NJ's oceanfront beach. Photo Credit: KAREN RILEY/FACEBOOK
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By TONY GALLOTTO
Published October 9, 2024 at 12:30 PM
Last updated October 9, 2024 at 12:30 PM
NEW JERSEY — Two Minke whales have turned up dead, triggering concern about the causes, according to state officials and environmental groups.
A dead Minke whale was found floating in the Raritan Bay on Thursday, Oct. 3rd, and marine experts expected it to wash ashore at Sandy Hook in Middletown. That didn’t happen.
Instead, the whale floated offshore until washing up at Fort Tilden, in Queens, NY, on Saturday Oct. 5th.
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That 16-to-18 foot long whale was photographed and tagged with a tracking device to monitor its drift, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. It said that strong currents caused that dead whale to drift ashore in Fort Tilden.
On Friday, Oct. 5th, a smaller dead Minke whale washed ashore in Lavallette, along Ocean County’s barrier island, measuring 10-to-12 feet, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said.
Both whales will be studied to determine their possible causes of death. These incidents add to the growing number of whale deaths along the New Jersey and New York coastlines, an issue that has raised alarm among state and environmental groups.
North Atlantic ‘Minke’ whales are the second smallest of their kind. The largest of these whales can be 33 feet in length and can weigh up to 14 tons, according to Wikipedia.
Environmentalists and marine scientists are exploring several potential causes for a rise in whale strandings and deaths.
Some factors under investigation include being hit by passing boats; getting entangled in fishing gear; underwater seismic tests; noise-generating activities, and offshore wind energy projects that may disrupt whale navigation and communication.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center and theAtlantic Marine Conservation Society will provide updates on the situation via their websites and social media. .
For more information and ongoing updates, visit the Marine Mammal Stranding Center media center.