FAR ROCKAWAY, Queens (PIX11) — A dead 25-foot minke whale washed up on Rockaway Beach on Friday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society was notified of the female whale around 9 a.m. After biologists examined the whale, they discovered she had several broken bones and cuts across her body. Samples of the wounds were taken, and the NOAA said the injuries appeared to have happened before the whale’s death.
The NOAA said there was evidence of blunt force trauma. A preliminary investigation determined the whale died from being hit by a vessel, officials said.
This is the fifth large beached whale in New York since Dec. 1, according to the NOAA. A total of 12 whales have washed up on the shores of New York and New Jersey since Dec. 1, the agency said. Additionally, there has been a continued investigation into an increase in minke whale deaths along the Atlantic coast since 2017.
Please report all stranded marine mammals and sea turtles to NOAA’s marine mammal and sea turtle stranding hotline at 866-755-6622. Callers will be directed to a trained responder.
