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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 identified the animal as a roughly 18-foot minke whale. A medical examination revealed the whale was lethargic, underweight, and suffering from lung congestion.
The Brigantine-based group said the whale was in extremely poor health and was unlikely to survive.
"The impact of stranding on cetaceans (dolphins and whales) is traumatic as their body weight and organs are normally supported by the water around them," MMSC posted. "When a cetacean is stranded for any length of time, their own body weight causes crushing damage to their internal organs, which lessens their chances of survival."
MMSC ultimately decided to humanely euthanize the whale to alleviate its suffering. The whale's carcass was secured for a necropsy during daylight hours to investigate the animal's death.
There have been at least eight whales found dead by MMSC in New Jersey so far in 2024, according to the group's data. There were 14 dead whales discovered in 2023, all of which had already been found by Monday, Dec. 4, 2023.
The most recent incidents involved two minke whales found dead about 24 hours apart that suffered from infectious diseases. One whale was spotted off the coast of Sandy Hook on Thursday, Oct. 3 and the other animal's body washed ashore in Lavallette the next day.
You can report dead marine animals to MMSC by calling the group's 24-hour hotline at 609-266-0538.
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