Necropsy Completed On Dead Whale In Long Beach Island

LONG BEACH TWP., NJ — A young humpback whale that washed ashore dead Thursday showed signs of having experienced blunt force trauma, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said.

The about one-year-old male whale was found dead in the surf at 51st Street in Long Beach Township at 6:45 a.m. April 11.

With the assistance of the Long Beach Township Department of Public Works and the Long Beach Township Police Department, stranding center crews worked in the rough surf to safely secure the carcass, and were able to pull it up on the beach by 1:00 p.m., according to a news release.

As the final disposal of a whale carcass is the responsibility of the property owner, the body was taken to the Long Beach Township Department of Public Works facility where the necropsy was conducted, and the remains were then buried onsite.

The necropsy was completed by 5 p.m. The juvenile whale was more than one-year-old and measured 24 feet and 10 inches in length, the stranding center said.

"Initial findings showed evidence of bruising around the head with a hematoma present, multiple fractures of the skull and cervical vertebrae, numerous dislocated ribs, and a dislocated scapula," the center said. "These injuries are consistent with blunt force trauma."

You can see photos of the injuries here.

Most of his major internal organs were liquified, with only the heart identifiable, the stranding center said.

"Scars from a previous entanglement unrelated to the stranding event were present around the peduncle, flukes, and right front pectoral flipper," the center said.

Samples were collected and sent to laboratories for histopathologic analysis. Once those results are available, they will be posted here.

"Our entire team is always deeply saddened by every deceased animal that we investigate, but the ones that hit the hardest are animals like this young whale who never got the chance to contribute to his species," the stranding center said.

Center staff thanked the multiple agencies and volunteers involved with Thursday's events.