Stranded Humpback Whale Fails to Survive Rescue Effort on New Jersey Coast

Helpers found a dead newborn humpback whale on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, over the weekend. On Friday afternoon, NJDEP flights sighted the animal in shallow water near Beach Haven. The Coast Guard and Marine Mammal Stranding Center acted promptly, but the whale was too damaged to save.

A Coast Guard helicopter found the whale Saturday morning. A boat from the stranded crew examined it. Hunger and fatigue plagued the 29-foot whale, which had damaged left and right dorsal fins. Researchers showed that confinement stresses organs and reduces survival.

Storm damage to the beach made landing close harder, making rescues harder. They killed the whale because its corpse would decay and kill it. Since the tide and dusk prevented treatment on Saturday, the animal was given medicine for the night.

The whale was dead when the team returned Sunday morning after high tide. A tour ship observed a baby humpback whale in the New York Bight on October 2. NYCO476 according to Gotham Whale. Too skinny and with massive back wounds, the whale couldn’t feed.

It saddened many that a young whale would never age or aid its kind. When ships hit or stall, marine animals are difficult to save.

Whales occasionally visit Jersey Shore. They reveal how wild and fragile our coastal rivers are. Researchers will monitor it to avoid mishaps.

Sources
– NJ.com
– 92.7 WOBM