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A dead minke whale was found off the coast of Sandy Hook in the Raritan and Lower bays on Thursday, Oct. 3, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said in a news release. The whale was estimated to be between 16 and 18 feet long.
The Coast Guard first notified the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS) and MMSC about the whale. Officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation found the animal, took pictures, and attached a tracking tag to it.
New Jersey wildlife officers spotted the whale still floating offshore on the morning of Friday, Oct. 4 and MMSC said it believes the animal could reach shore in Sandy Hook.
"Once the animal is on shore, we will work with NOAA Fisheries and local officials to evaluate options for examination of the animal," MMSC said.
MMSC also received a report of another dead minke whale at around 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 4. The 10-to-12-foot whale washed ashore near Trenton Avenue in Lavallette.
The whale's body was brought to the borough's public works yard. MMSC is organizing a team to perform a necropsy.
These whales are the sixth and seventh found dead in New Jersey so far in 2024, according to MMSC data. There were 14 dead whales discovered in 2023, 13 of which had already been found by Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
A dead humpback whale was the most recent one found in Barnegat Light on Monday, Sept. 23. The whale's partial carcass was severely decomposed.
A 13-foot-2 beaked whale's body was discovered on a Spring Lake beach on Thursday, June 13. The first dead whale of the year was found in Long Beach on Thursday, Apr. 11, and died from blunt force trauma.
You can report dead marine animals to MMSC by calling the Brigantine group's 24-hour hotline at 609-266-0538.
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