Humpback Whale Washes Up On Atlantic City Beach And Prompts Demand For Action
A humpback whale washed ashore in Atlantic City on Saturday, January 7.
This is now the sixth humpback whale to wash up on a New Jersey beach within months, one being previously in Cape May at the end of December.
The female whale which was greater than 30 feet in length and weighing more than 25 tons was found deceased from a suspected ship strike. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center located in Brigantine, New Jersey shared a statement on their Facebook following the initial assessment and full necropsy given to the whale.
Although the whale “appeared to be in good body condition,” a “significant finding was scars from a possible entanglement.” The whale was then buried on the beach with spectators watching from the sand and from afar on the boardwalk throughout the day.
The endangered whales washing up dead on beaches here in New Jersey have not only brought attention to those visiting the area, but it is also now prompting demands for action. The “Ocean Wavemakers” known as Clean Ocean Action is demanding a transparent investigation to be conducted.
“The wave of dead whales is the ocean sounding the alarm,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, “and we must heed the warning.”
“These tragic multiple deaths of mostly young, endangered whales are of no apparent cause, however, the only new activity in the ocean is the unprecedented concurrent industrial activity by over 11 companies in the region’s ocean, which allows the harassment and harm of tens of thousands of marine mammals. Moreover, federal and state agencies have been recklessly fast-tracking offshore wind development projects. These three coinciding factors raise suspicions, and a responsible and reasonable response is the action plan for which we are calling,” Zipf added in a press release.
The exact cause of death for each one of the whales that have washed up at the Jersey Shore in recent months has yet to be determined or released to the public. As reported by the MMSC, sample results can take several months to come back.
Scroll below to view photos taken over the weekend on-site:
