Necropsy to Be Performed On Whale That Died After Rescue

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — A whale rescued Tuesday after it was found stranded in Hampton Bays has died, according to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

The whale, Schneiderman said, washed up at Heady Creek by the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton Village.

Southampton Town bay constables and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society are responding; the town was notified by a bayman in the area, he said.

According to Rachel Bosworth of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, the Southampton Town Bay Constable received a call Wednesday morning just before 8 a.m. from a local fisherman about a deceased whale that washed up on the marsh at Shinnecock County Park.

The Town then called Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to assess the situation, and they confirmed it was the same minke whale that had been re-floated yesterday in Shinnecock Bay.

The whale will be secured and transported to a location where Atlantic Marine Conservation Society will perform a necropsy to determine a potential cause of death. The necropsy examination will likely take place tomorrow and can take several hours to complete.

Samples will be collected and sent to a pathologist to assist in determining the cause of death. Results may take several weeks. After the necropsy is completed, preliminary findings will be made available by Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.

The community had been thrilled to hear that the whale had been rescued and was last seen swimming toward the inlet Tuesday, according to officials at the scene.

According to Rachel Bosworth of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, AMCS received notice around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday about a live stranded whale west of the Shinnecock Inlet.

AMCS biologist Kimberly Durham arrived onsite to assess the situation of the animal, which was a male minke whale, approximately 10 feet in length, she said.

The whale was re-floated in the bay and was last seen swimming toward the inlet, she said.

According to Southampton Town Police and the AMCS, it is unknown how the whale became stranded on the beach. Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, which is authorized by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to respond to whale strandings in New York State, arrived on scene to assess the whale’s situation and work with the town to facilitate the response efforts.

The animal, a male minke whale, appeared to be young, approximately 500 to 750 pounds, and appeared to be alert with no signs of trauma, the AMCS said.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, with support from Southampton Town Police and bay constables, United States Coast Guard, the Hampton Bays Fire Department dive rescue team and Fire Police, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, Riverhead Foundation, and Suffolk County Parks were able to provide supportive care and assist the whale to re-float.

Patch courtesy photo.