LI Rescue Groups Race To Try And Save Rare Whale Stranded In Brooklyn

EAST END, NY — A Long Island team rushed to Brooklyn Sunday to save a stranded rare whale.

According to the New York Marine Rescue Center and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, both based on the East End, a report came through the New York State 24-hour hot line regarding a stranded marine mammal on Plumb Beach.

The animal was identified as a pygmy perm whale, or Kogia breviceps, which is not a common species along the coastal shores of Long Island, the rescue groups said.

The NYMRC team sprang into action and began the trip from its hospital in Riverhead.

"Unfortunately, prior to NYMRC arriving on scene, the animal was pushed multiple
times back into the water by concerned patrons," the team said. "The animal later re-stranded for a third time and an in-field assessment was performed by NYMRC. In consultation with NOAA Fisheries, and based on the assessment, it was decided that euthanasia was the best course of action for this very compromised individual."

However, due to the incoming tide, stranding location, and human safety concerns it was decided to monitor the animal overnight and reassess at first light the next day, the rescue groups said.

With the help of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officers, the National Parks Service, and the New York City Police Department, NYMRC’s team continued to monitor the animal overnight, officials said.

However, the animal’s behavior and condition continued to deteriorate, and the whale passed away on its own early Monday morning, NYMRC said.

“Understanding why marine mammals and sea turtles strand is an integral component of the work that we do at NYMRC. Data obtained from these types of strandings is crucial to the overall population of each species. These cases can be very challenging, and we are so thankful
for our partners that helped us over the last few days.” Maxine Montello, rescue program director at the New York Marine Rescue Center, said.

A full necropsy was performed by the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, network partners. The
animal, a young adult male, was 9-feet long. The animal did have food parts in its stomach, it was thin and had a heavy parasite load, experts said.

Extensive samples were collected from the whale and will be sent to a pathologist to determine the cause of death, rescuer said.

AMSEAS’ Executive Director Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr., added: "Examinations of marine
mammals and sea turtles that wash ashore on New York bight beaches provide environmental managers data about the health status of these animals and the threats they face in our waters. Collecting this critical data would not be possible without these partnerships or support from the public.”

The animal was the 18th pygmy sperm whale to strand in New York in the last 41 years.

Rescue teams had a message for the public: Cetaceans, or dolphins, porpoises, and whales, are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes attempting to feed or interact with these animals illegal. The best way to assist the animals, and keep them and the public
safe, is by maintaining a 150-foot distance and calling the New York State 24-hour stranding hot line at 631-369-9829.