Carcass of 29-foot long sea creature drifts ashore in New Jersey, officials say
.jpg "The 29-foot humpback whale was “heavily decomposed” when it washed ashore, officials said.")
A 29.5-foot humpback whale carcass washed ashore in New Jersey after it was seen floating in the water just days before, officials said.
The female whale was “heavily decomposed” when officials arrived for it at about 7 a.m. June 27 in Long Beach Township, according to a Marine Mammal Stranding Center news release.
Officials said the dead whale was seen floating in the water June 23 about 3.5 miles off the coast of Harvey Cedars.
The whale was not viable for further biological sampling because of its “advanced” stage of decomposition, officials said.
Long Beach Township will bury the whale, according to officials.
This is the first dead humpback whale found in New Jersey this year and the 24th in the past five years, data from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center shows.
The number peaked in 2023, with nine whales found dead, according to data.
Long Beach Township is about a 100-mile drive south from New York City.
