Dead Humpback Whale Washes Up In Hamptons

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A dead humpback whale washed up in East Hampton Thursday, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said.

AMCS said it worked with the East Hampton Town maintenance department to determine logistics for a response for the whale that washed up in Napeague Thursday morning. Because the whale is in the surf, initial measurements were not able to be taken but the animal is estimated to be 30-35 feet in length, AMCS said. The team plans to return Friday morning around 9 a.m. to conduct a necropsy investigation, collect data and help determine a cause of death; the necropsy may take several hours to complete and findings will be shared upon completion.

The report of the whale was first made by U.S. Coast Guard Station Montauk, AMCS said.

Because the animal is in the surf AMCS said it is dangerous for the public to get closer. "We strongly urge people to keep a minimum distance of the recommended 150 feet at all times," AMCS said in a release.

This is the sixth humpback whale AMCS has responded to this year, including ones found on Fire Island and in Long Beach in May.

There is an ongoing unusual mortality event in effect along the Atlantic Coast that has impacted more than 75 humpback whales since 2016, AMCS said.

Photo courtesy AMCS.