NOAA To Investigate Death Of Minke Whale Washed Ashore At Scarborough

NARRAGANSETT, RI—A decomposed minke whale washed up at Scarborough Beach and was buried Wednesday, the public works department said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did ask Mystic Aquariumto take samples from the whale, although a test called a necropsy to determine the cause of death was not performed. The reason is because the whale had been deceased too long and was too badly decomposed, according to Dale Wolbrink at Mystic Aquarium. But the samples may provide some insight, she said.

Scientists are puzzled about the unusual number of Humpback whales washed up on East Coast beaches. Similar questions have been raised about right whales off the coast of Canada. The minke whales have not been dying in significant numbers, she said. Their strandings have been minimal, but all came ashore on Narragansett beaches.

Turning back to the Humpback whale that washed up in Jamestown earlier this year, Wolbrink said NOAA has taken over the investigation into the reason that whale died. It has been classified as an Unexplained Mortality Event, she said.