Long Beach Township, New Jersey – A recent post-mortem examination of a whale that washed ashore on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island revealed shocking details of the animal’s injuries, including a fractured skull and vertebrae. The juvenile male humpback whale, measuring nearly 25 feet (7.6 meters), was found dead in Long Beach Township, sparking concerns among marine experts and environmentalists.
During the necropsy conducted by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, director Sheila Dean reported findings of bruising around the head, multiple skull and cervical vertebrae fractures, dislocated ribs, and a dislocated shoulder bone. These injuries, pointing to blunt force trauma, have raised questions about the cause of the whale’s death.
Speculation surrounding offshore wind power projects and their potential impact on marine life has intensified following this incident. Despite opposition claims linking the whale deaths to offshore wind preparation activities, scientific agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration refute these allegations. NOAA’s recent data showed 16 large whale deaths on the East Coast in 2024, with various species affected by different causes.
In response to the incident, Leading Light Wind, a company proposing wind farms off the New Jersey coast, emphasized the importance of accurate information dissemination. Concerned groups like Protect Our Coast NJ remain skeptical of official explanations for the whale deaths, drawing parallels to past instances of public distrust in information dissemination.
The examination also unveiled signs of past entanglement with fishing gear on the whale’s body, indicating a history of interaction with human activities. The scars from previous entanglements were visible around the whale’s tail and right front pectoral flipper, highlighting the ongoing threats faced by marine life in the region.
As investigations continue to determine the exact cause of the whale’s death, the incident serves as a somber reminder of the challenges faced by marine species in an increasingly industrialized environment. The implications of these findings extend beyond the individual whale, shedding light on the broader issues of marine conservation and human impact on fragile ecosystems.