LBI: The female minke whale was first reported stranded in shallow water in Barnegat Bay on Sunday October 1st. For five days the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, with the aid of several agencies, was on scene attempting to assist the whale back into the ocean. MMSC’s Stranding Team spent hours in the water helping to free the whale from shallow water multiple times. With each successful refloating of the whale into deeper water, the following day she would be found restranded again in shallow water. With each attempt, the minke whale grew weaker and her body condition began to decline, with skin sloughing off the exposed parts of her body. The whale had become very lethargic and would no longer open her eyes. On Thursday the whale was located approximately 1 mile inside the inlet west of Sedge Island, stranded again in shallow water and non-responsive. The whale was assessed by MMSC’s veterinarian and determined from his examination that she was suffering and could not recover from the multiple stranding events. The whale was humanely euthanized. The whale was towed to Island Beach State Park on Thursday evening and secured overnight. Due to the euthanasia, burial on the beach was not an option as the chemicals in the euthanasia drugs can pose a risk to the ground water and wildlife. On Friday morning the whale was transported to the Monmouth County Reclamation Center where the necropsy was performed by Marine Mammal Stranding Center staff and volunteers. The necropsy was completed by 3pm. Initial findings showed froth in the lungs and a heavy parasite load in the GI tract (stomach and intestines). There were fish bones in the stomach, and feces in the colon. No signs of trauma were observed. Samples were collected and will be sent for histopathologic analysis. When results become available, they will be shared via our website at the following link- https://mmsc.org/cetaceans-2002-2023
To say that it has been an extremely busy and taxing week for our team is an understatement, and we thank every single person that assisted us in the field or offered moral support to our team as we navigated this stranding event over the course of six days. Our small team has been out in the field for the bulk of this week, so social media updates and media interviews come when we have the time. We thank those who have been patient and understanding of the constant strain our team is under as they wait for us to return to the office to provide the public with updates.
Thank you to the NJ State Police Marine Unit, NJ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers, Sea Tow, US Coast Guard, the Ocean County Mosquito Commission, NOAA Fisheries Law Enforcement, Island Beach State Park, Monmouth County Reclamation Center, Tri-State Carting & Recycling, and our dedicated volunteers for your assistance.