Dead humpback whale found in Long Beach Township surf

A dead whale was found washed ashore in Long Beach Township early Thursday morning.

At 6:45 a.m., the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a rescue organization based in Brigantine, received a call reporting a "deceased 20-30 foot long" humpback whale in the surf at 51st Street.

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Around 8 a.m., the MMSC said their staff was on route to the scene on Long Beach Island and that Long Beach Township Police were already there.

"This is an active situation and we will provide updates when available," the organization wrote in a release, noting that the latest news would be posted to the MMSC website and social media pages.

Humpback whales are found in every ocean across the globe. Their average size is 48 to 62.5 feet, and average weight is 40 tons. The species' population was severely reduced before the 1985 ban on commercial whaling, but the numbers in many population groups, including off the coast of New Jersey, have since improved. They remain a protected species, with their largest threats including collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear.

During the past few months, the MMSC has been entrenched in gray seal pup migration season. Pups between 4-6 weeks old have been making a long swim from their birthing grounds in New England and Canadian waters down to New Jersey, according to the MMSC. On their own for the first time, seal pups can sometimes lose their sense of direction and wind up lost, stranded or injured. As of last week, the nonprofit was caring for 15 seals at its Brigantine facility.