PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A fourth dead whale in nearly five weeks has washed ashore on another South Jersey beach.
A 20-foot humpback whale washed up on the beach north of the sea wall in North Brigantine Thursday afternoon, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
Samples are being gathered to determine the cause of the whale’s death, similar to the others that were recently discovered in South Jersey.
On Jan. 7, a young humpback was found on the beach near Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. On Dec. 23 just a few blocks away, another whale was found on the beach. And before that, a whale washed ashore in Strathmere on Dec. 10.
Environmental groups have been concerned that these whales — and others that have washed ashore on New York beaches — could be victims of the development of offshore wind farms.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been studying what it calls “unusual mortality events” involving more than 170 humpback whales along the entire U.S. East Coast since January 2016. That period pre-dates offshore wind preparation activities in the region.
To date, the agency has not attributed any humpback whale deaths to offshore wind activities.
Officials said it could take some time before the cause of these deaths is known.