MIDDLETOWN:

Update on the deceased Minke whale at Leonardo State Marina in Middletown: On Thursday October 19th the Marine Mammal Stranding Center returned to the marina to begin the process of extricating the whale carcass from the bulkhead it was lodged in. With the assistance of the New Jersey State Park Service Marina staff and Middletown Township Dive Team, the carcass was successfully removed from the bulkhead and towed to a nearby beach for the necropsy.
Marine Mammal Stranding Center Staff, with the assistance of staff from Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Sea Turtle Recovery, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, completed the necropsy by 7:00pm. The whale was buried nearby with the assistance of the Middletown Township Department of Public Works and the New Jersey State Parks Service. The whale was a sub-adult male measuring 18 feet 7 inches in length. Initial findings showed bloody froth in the lungs, and signs of infectious disease in multiple organs. There was no food in the GI tract. 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
We would like to thank our Stranding Network partners Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and Sea Turtle Recovery , and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, for their assistance during the necropsy. Thank you MMSC volunteers for mobilizing quickly on short notice and staying through the evening to assist the staff with the necropsy efforts. We would also like to thank the following agencies for their support during the recovery and necropsy operations: NJ State Park Police, NJ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers, NJ State Park Service, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, Monmouth County Sheriff Department, Middletown Township Department of Public Works, and Middletown Township Dive Team.
photo- Michael McKenna