December 04, 2024
Marine Mammal Stranding Center/Facebook
A minke whale was euthanized by wildlife officials on Tuesday after it was found stranded at Sunset Beach in Cape May Point.
A whale that washed ashore in Cape May Point on Tuesday afternoon was euthanized by wildlife officials after they determined it had a low chance of survival if released back into the wild.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine was called to Sunset Beach just after 2 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a whale that bystanders believed had already died. When veterinarians arrived, they discovered that the 18-foot-long minke whale was still alive, but appeared lethargic and thin. It also had signs of congestion in its lungs.
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Wildlife officials said the whale had an "extremely poor" outlook, making euthanasia the most humane decision.
Minke whales are widespread in the northern Atlantic Ocean but usually migrate south to breed during the winter months. They're among the most commonly reported species of whales that are found stranded in New Jersey.
Whales and dolphins, both in the cetacean family of mammals, have a traumatic response when they become beached. Ocean water naturally supports their body weight and organs. The longer they are out of water, their own body weight can cause damage to their organs, MMSC officials said.
The wildlife organization maintains a dashboard that keeps track of annual number of beached whales in New Jersey. Seven had been confirmed this year as of early October, down compared with 2023. Of the 14 that were reported last year — the highest since MMSC started keeping records in 2002 — nine were humpback whales. This year, three of the reported stranded whales have been humpbacks.
MMSC declined to comment about potential reasons for the decrease in stranded whales this year.
In recent years, some citizen groups and Republican lawmakers have linked the deaths of marine species in the region to offshore wind development. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the Bureau of Ocean Management have not found substantive evidence supporting such claims related to wind surveying and construction activity. In many cases, they have noted that stranded whales had injuries consistent with ship strikes and entanglement in fishing nets.
In March, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced $3.7 million in funding for ecological research on offshore wind energy and whale behavior in the state's offshore wind lease areas. The state is still pursuing multiple offshore wind projects along its coast, despite financial challenges and supply chain issues that have stalled the industry's growth in New Jersey.
MMSC officials said the minke whale found in Cape May Point will undergo a necropsy on Wednesday to determine what might have led it ashore.
