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Whale In 'Extremely Poor' Health Euthanized On NJ Beach, Marine Biologists Say (UPDATE) Whale In 'Extremely Poor' Health Euthanized On NJ Beach, Marine Biologists Say (UPDATE)
Whale In 'Extremely Poor' Health Euthanized On NJ Beach, Marine Biologists Say (Update) A minke whale that stranded itself on a Cape May Point beach needed to be euthanized, marine biologists said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said the animal was unlikely to survive, according to a Facebook update posted on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The whale was discovered on Sunset Beach in Lower Township at around 2:10 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The whale was first believed to be dead when it washed ashore. First responders discovered the whale was alive but stranded on dry sand as the tide receded. An MMSC team with a veterinarian soon arrived at the scene and iden…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Dolphin Found Butchered On Jersey Shore Beach, Marine Biologists Investigating Dolphin Found Butchered On Jersey Shore Beach, Marine Biologists Investigating
Dolphin Found Butchered On Jersey Shore Beach, Marine Biologists Investigating Authorities were investigating after a dolphin that appeared to be butchered washed up on a beach in Allenhurst, marine biologists said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said the common dolphin's body was discovered on the beach at Allen Avenue on Wednesday, Oct. 30. "The animal’s flesh had been completely removed with clean cuts from a sharp instrument, leaving only the head, dorsal fin, and flukes," MMSC said in a Facebook post. "The animal’s organs, except for the heart and lungs, had been removed." MMSC received a report that a dolphin was seen struggling in the surf about a blo…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Dead Whale Spotted In Raritan Bay Had Infectious Disease, Necropsy Says Dead Whale Spotted In Raritan Bay Had Infectious Disease, Necropsy Says
Dead Whale Spotted In Raritan Bay Had Infectious Disease, Necropsy Says Two whales found dead along the Jersey Shore suffered from infectious diseases, marine biologists said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) posted on Facebook to release the necropsy findings for the 17-and-a-half-foot minke whale discovered in Lavallette on Friday, Oct. 4. The animal's body was found near Trenton Avenue at around 6:30 a.m. The male was considered thin and had no food in its digestive tract. "Evidence of inflammation in multiple organs consistent with infectious disease was documented," MMSC posted. "Biological samples were col…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Several Shark Sightings Reported Near Cape May's Coast Several Shark Sightings Reported Near Cape May's Coast
Several Shark Sightings Reported Near Cape May's Coast Several sharks have been spotted off the coast of Cape May in recent weeks, according to reports. A shark was spotted near the beach in Cape May Point at around 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5, 6abc Action News reported. One beachgoer said the shark was about six feet long. The sighting caused swimmers to run onto the shore and lifeguards kept people out of the water for about a half hour, according to Wildwood Video Archive. "Sharks are always out here," Cape May Point Beach Patrol Chief Ben Swan told 6abc. "We swim with sharks every day. Most of the time you just don't see them." The beac…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Beaked Whale Found Dead On Jersey Shore Beach, Second Discovered In 2024 Beaked Whale Found Dead On Jersey Shore Beach, Second Discovered In 2024
Beaked Whale Found Dead On Jersey Shore Beach, Second Discovered In 2024 A rare type of whale was found dead on a beach in Monmouth County, marine biologists said. A beaked whale on the beach near St. Clair Avenue in Spring Lake was reported to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center at around 6 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, the group said in a Facebook post. A volunteer responded to document the 13-foot-2 whale, which was "in moderately decomposed condition." A Spring Lake public works crew transported the whale to the department's yard to be examined by MMSC staff. The carcass was then transported to the state's Animal Health Diagnostic Lab in Trenton for a …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Dolphin Panics, Dies During Rescue Attempt In Jersey Shore Creek Dolphin Panics, Dies During Rescue Attempt In Jersey Shore Creek
Dolphin Panics, Dies During Rescue Attempt In Jersey Shore Creek A dolphin died during rescue efforts after it was stuck in a Cape May County creek for more than a week, according to marine biologists. In a Facebook post, The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said the bottlenose dolphin died in Cape May Court House on Friday, May 24. The dolphin was first reported in Skeeter Island Creek on Thursday, May 16. MMSC said a team of a dozen people on three boats tried "less-invasive tactics" to guide the dolphin out of the shallow water without physically handling it. When the specialized herding equipment failed to save the dolphin, the crew trie…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Whale-Tracking Buoy Aims To Prevent Collisions With Boats Off New Jersey Coast Whale-Tracking Buoy Aims To Prevent Collisions With Boats Off New Jersey Coast
Whale-Tracking Buoy Aims To Prevent Collisions With Boats Off New Jersey Coast Marine biologists are using a special buoy to study and protect whales off the coast of New Jersey. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution put the buoy about 20 miles off the coast of Atlantic City on Sunday, Feb. 11. The buoy provides real-time monitoring of baleen whales by identifying their distinct calls. NJDEP said tracking the vocalizations of baleen whales can help marine biologists understand how changing ocean conditions could affect seasonal migration patterns. The buoy will monitor whal…

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by Chris Spiker
News
3,500-Pound Great White Shark Pinged Off Jersey Shore Coast 3,500-Pound Great White Shark Pinged Off Jersey Shore Coast
3,500-Pound Great White Shark Pinged Off Jersey Shore Coast One of the largest tagged Great White sharks was spotted off the Jersey Shore coast last weekend. Nukumi, weighing in at more than 3,500 pounds, was pinged just before 8 p.m. Saturday near the deep submarine canyons in Monmouth County, according to research group OCEARCH's tracker. The 17-foot-2-inch shark wears a tag on her dorsal fin, and had ben swimming down from the Canadian waters last week. Nukumi -- pronounced noo-goo-mee -- was tagged by nonprofit research group OCEARCH Oct. 2, while swimming off the southern coast of Nova Scotia. “When you handle an animal of this size it w…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Dead Seal Recovered On Sandy Hook Beach In Middletown Dead Seal Recovered On Sandy Hook Beach In Middletown
Dead Seal Recovered On Sandy Hook Beach In Middletown The body of a young harbor seal was recovered at Sandy Hook Beach, authorities said.  The dead yearling seal washed up on the beach at the southern end of Plum Island in Middletown about 11:30 a.m. Friday, according to Bob Schoelkopf, director of New Jersey Marine Mammal Stranding Center. Troy Platt, a stranding technician, said the seal's body was too decomposed to conduct a necropsy and determine cause of death. There have been numerous seal sightings along the Jersey Shore this spring, Platt said, because of mild weather and the fact that many gray seal pups are now migrating …

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by Jon Craig