Deceased whale spotted floating off LBI
The whale is suspected to be a female fin whale.
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Marine mammal experts are working to examine a whale carcass that washed up along the Jersey Shore over the weekend.
On Sunday at about 10:20 a.m., the Marine Mammal Stranding Center was informed that a boater spotted a deceased whale drifting about 1.5 miles off the coast of Long Beach Island. A drift analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as reports from observers throughout the day, helped the MMSC track the whale’s location Sunday.
“Just prior to sunset, the whale was reported several hundred yards from shore in Surf City, drifting north outside of the breakers,” the MMSC said in a social media statement.
On Monday morning at 8 a.m., the whale was spotted in the surf at Barnegat Light near 11th Street and continued to drift north in the surf, just south of the jetty.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center believes the whale is a female fin whale. The cause of death is not yet known, and marine experts say they are working with local, state and federal agencies on a plan for the recovery, examination and disposal of the carcass.
Officials say marine mammals are federally protected. People should avoid touching or collecting any pieces of the carcass they may find and instead report them to the MMSC.
