Dead Humpback Whale Found In Southampton Surf

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A dead humpback whale was found in the Southampton surf Thursday morning. According to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, a person called to report the female whale, 27.5 feet long, which was seen in the water at Halsey Neck Lane.

The AMSEAS team arrived at 10:45 a.m. and worked with the Southampton Village Highway Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the New York State Department of Conservation, and the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue team to conduct a necropsy.

The whale is the 13th large whale and seventh humpback AMSEAS, which is the lead large whale response organization in New York State, has responded to this year. An unusual mortality event, or UME, has been in effect for humpback whales since 2016.

AMSEAS completed the necropsy examination Thursday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., the organization said. The animal was emaciated and there were no significant findings, AMSEAS said. The team took samples that will be sent to a pathologist to help determine the cause of death; those results may take several months to come back. The whale was buried on the beach.

“As we continue to build capacity for large whale response in the area, working with network partners and individual townships is essential,” says AMSEAS chief scientist Rob DiGiovanni. “Being able to pull resources together quickly for a response like this prepares us for a number of other response efforts on all scales. We’re grateful to have had all of these groups come together and support us today.”

“The Village of Southampton would like to thank Atlantic Marine Conservation Society for their quick response to this unfortunate event,” said Southampton Village Administrator Russell Kratoville. “The board of trustees would to recognize the skillful work of the village highway department in assisting in this effort.”

AMSEAS would also like to thank the public for continuing to report stranding information. Receiving information as it happens is critical in timely responses and the public’s support is greatly appreciated, AMSEAS said.

Find out more here about the Humpback Whale UME, including stranding numbers along the Atlantic coast.

If you see a marine animal in distress, contact the New York State Stranding Hotline at 631-369-9829. If you’re out on the water in the area, please keep a close lookout for whales, and remember to give them plenty of room, AMSEAS advised.