June 02, 2015
Three juvenile beluga whales were recently spotted in two rivers along the Jersey Shore, the Asbury Park Press reports.
The marine mammals paid a visit to the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. They are believed to be the same whales that appeared off Rhode Island around Mother's Day, then near Long Island around Memorial Day weekend.
While neighbors in the area were excited by the sighting, experts are concerned for the well-being of the creatures.
"The waters they have gone up are more or less death traps for the animals that have gone up there in the past," Bob Schoelkopf, founding director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, told the Asbury Park Press.
Having witnessed dolphins enter the Navesink River and not come out, Schoelkopf is concerned that the water will become unnavigable for the whales.
Boaters have been asked to observe the whales from at least 150 feet away.
