A baby whale’s journey through New York waters took a tragic turn last weekend when its dismembered body was found on a New Jersey beach.
This unfortunate creature, still breathing when discovered, had endured significant suffering. It was trapped on a sandbar in Long Beach Island for at least two nights before succumbing to its injuries—just hours before rescuers were scheduled to perform euthanasia.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine expressed their sadness, noting, “Our teams are deeply affected by the loss of all the animals we’ve studied, especially those like this young whale who never had the chance to thrive.” They shared this message on Facebook.
The young humpback, approximately 8 meters long, was first spotted near Holgate around 3 PM on Friday. This sighting came two weeks after marine researchers from Gotham Whale noticed the same whale struggling to feed near Rockaway.
Rescuers described the whale as “lethargic and extremely emaciated,” indicating it had injuries on both sides likely from a propeller strike.
The situation was dire; it’s said that going to the beach could be a death sentence for such a whale, as its organs can’t handle the water’s buoyancy and are crushed by its own weight.
It remains uncertain how long the baby whale remained on the sandbar before it was found.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center assessed the whale and concluded that its chances of survival were very low. They opted for humane euthanasia to prevent further suffering.
However, as night fell, rescuers were unable to reach it since the sandbar could only be accessed by boat. Compounding the issue, recent coastal erosion in another region delayed plans to relocate the whale to the mainland safely.
Instead of euthanasia, rescuers were able to administer a sedative to keep the whale comfortable until Sunday morning, by which time it had already passed away.
This tragic event marked the young whale’s first adventure through New York Bay, navigating waters from Fire Island to Manasquan Inlet.
Gotham Whale had identified the baby as NYC0476 on October 2, noting it appeared “severely traumatized” and possibly affected by one or two propeller strikes.
Given the whale’s emaciated state, it was likely that the injuries had interfered with its ability to feed properly.
The whale was spotted again two days later but then went missing.
While sightings of whales in New York waters have increased in recent years, so have incidents involving boat strikes. In 2023, there were 11 fatal strikes reported. Just last year, a similar incident resulted in the death of another humpback whale known for its playful antics near the city skyline.
