Necropsy Results For Barnegat Bay Minke Whale Revealed

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ — An initial necropsy of the minke whale that repeatedly stranded itself in Barnegat Bay waters has been completed, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

The whale was humanely euthanized Thursday night, according to the stranding center.

The necropsy revealed that the whale had froth in the lungs and "a heavy parasite load" in the gastrointestinal tract. No signs of trauma were observed, according to the stranding center.

Samples were collected and will be sent for histopathologic analysis. Results will be shared on the Marine Mammal Stranding Center website when available.

After stranding itself multiple times throughout last week, the team from the stranding center noticed the whale's condition declining. The whale became weaker and its skin was sloughing off, the center said, and had become very lethargic, no longer opening its eyes.

On Thursday, the whale was found again stranded about one mile inside the inlet west of Sedge Island, non-responsive in shallow water, the stranding center said.

The stranding center's veterinarian assessed the whale and determined it was suffering and unable to recover from the multiple strandings. The whale was then humanely euthanized, the stranding center said.

It was towed to Island Beach State Park and secured overnight, and taken to the Monmouth County Reclamation Center for necropsy Friday morning, the stranding center said. It could not be buried on the beach as chemicals in the euthanasia drugs can be harmful to wildlife and groundwater, according to the stranding center.

"To say that it has been an extremely busy and taxing week for our team is an understatement, and we thank every single person that assisted us in the field or offered moral support to our team as we navigated this stranding event over the course of six days," the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said.