LONG BEACH TWP., N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A dead whale was discovered on a New Jersey beach Thursday morning.
According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, a 20- to 30-foot juvenile humpback whale was found dead on the beach in Long Beach Township at 51st Street.
It’s New Jersey’s first whale death of 2024, but it comes after a troubling year for whales along the South Jersey coast. In 2023, 14 of the animals were found dead.
The Center says there has been an increase in whale deaths starting in December 2022. However, they say it is so far unclear why they are seeing so many East Coast whale deaths.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has suggested that climate change could be a factor as whales relocate to adapt to ocean conditions and follow prey close to shore.
The Stranding Center staff are collecting samples to help determine what happened and will post updates on their website.