Stranded 35-foot humpback whale dies hours after being washed ashore on a Long Island beach
A 35-foot humpback whale that washed ashore on Monday morning on a New York beach has died.
The male whale, discovered by locals at Lido Beach West Town Park in Hempstead on Long Island was one of 10 cetaceans that washed ashore over the past two months along the shores of New York and New Jersey.
Officials said it was still alive when found but sadly perished a short time later.
Crews were forced to deploy a heavy crane to pull the huge animal, estimated to weigh around 32 tons, from the water so it would not be washed back out to sea.
The animal showed no obvious signs of trauma, and federal authorities are scheduled to perform a necropsy Tuesday to determine the cause of death.
A man walks past a dead male humpback whale on Lido Beach in Hempstead, Long Island, New York
A dead male humpback whale that, according to town officials, washed ashore overnight on Long Island’s south-facing shore
In a picture taken with a drone, emergency crews try to determine how to handle the carcass of a humpback whale that washed up on shore in Lido Beach, New York, USA, 30 January 2023
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is responsible for the nation’s oceans and fisheries, said 19 humpback whales were stranded last year along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
During the first month of this year, there have already been seven of the whales beached from Maine to Florida.
But the town of Hempstead hasn’t seen one in several years, Town Supervisor Don Clavin told News 12.
‘This is by far the largest,’ he said. ‘The crews that have been here for almost two decades have never seen a whale this size.’
He later added: ‘It’s 35-feet-long. Just pulling it up on the shore, we had to bring in a heavy crane and the wires were snapping because of the tonnage required to bring it to higher ground.’
View of a dead male humpback whale that, according to town officials, washed ashore overnight on Long Island’s south facing shore in Lido Beach, New York, U.S., January 30, 2023
There have been seven whale deaths in the last few weeks on the beaches of New York and neighboring New Jersey
Humpback whales live in oceans around the world but travel incredible distances every year, conducting one of the largest migrations of any mammal on the planet.
Some populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, plentiful feeding grounds – this is why it is difficult to estimate population size, according to the NOAA.
Of the 14 distinct populations, 12 are estimated to number more than 2,000 humpback whales each, and two are estimated to number fewer than 2,000.
Some populations (such as those off eastern and western Australia) are believed to number in excess of 20,000 animals—a remarkable recovery given that the same populations were almost eradicated by whaling almost sixty years ago.
By contrast, the smallest known population is one which inhabits the Arabian Sea year round, and may number as few as 80 individuals.
No one really knows why whales beach themselves, or why so many whales are washing up on the shores of the East Coast, but there are several theories as to why the animals may end up on the shoreline.
The whale was estimated to weigh around 32 tons
A dead male humpback whale that, according to town officials, washed ashore overnight, is pictured on Long Island’s south facing shore in Lido Beach, New York, U.S., January 30, 2023
A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officer walks past a dead male humpback whale
Humpback whales live in oceans around the world. They travel incredible distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet
Individual cases are typically put down to sickness or injury where a whale is unable to prevent drifting into shore or actively seeks the shoreline.
Navigational errors can also befall older whales or those in unfamiliar territory, as gently sloping coastlines and food-rich ocean currents close to shore confuse the animals and lead them too close to the beach.
But human interference is often cited as the primary reason for beachings.
Shipping and military sonar interference can disrupt the animal’s ability to communicate and navigate, causing distress, disorientation, and even decompression sickness as they swim to the surface.
Other threats to humpback whales include a decline in food like Krill due to a combination of climate change and industrial-scale fishing.
Humpback whales can also become entangled by many different gear types including moorings, traps, pots, or gill nets.
Once entangled, if they are unable to move the gear, the whale may drag and swim with attached gear for long distances, ultimately resulting in fatigue, compromised feeding ability, or severe injury.
