Whale Washes Up at Smith Point

Beachgoers at Smith Point Park were shocked last week after discovering a 34-foot-long humpback whale washed up on the beach. The leviathans usually thrill onlookers as they frolic and feed offshore, their spouts blowing more than 10 feet toward the sky, but this time, one of the great creatures evoked sadness and concern.

The male humpback, named for its distinctive curved back shown when it surfaces for air, was found to be very decomposed, according to Rob DiGiovanni Jr., chief scientist and executive director of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society. Preliminary findings note the cause of death as blunt force trauma consistent with a suspected vessel strike, he reported.

The creature is undergoing a necropsy by the conservation society, which was assisted at the scene by personnel with NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Service, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Suffolk’s Parks Department, and the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. County Public Works employees had the grisly task of burying the large sea mammal on the beach. A ceremony was conducted by members of the Shinnecock and Unkachaug Indian nations to celebrate the spirit of the animal. Blubber, tissue, and organ samples will undergo special pathological testing to obtain detailed information about the whale, which is estimated to be about five years old.

New York holds the unfortunate distinction of leading the Eastern Seaboard with 41 humpback whale deaths over the last seven years, the Fisheries Service reported. Noting an “unusual mortality event,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agency has recorded 205 humpback deaths between Maine and Florida since 2016. There’s been seven in New York so far this year and two recorded deaths last year.

According to the NOAA, about 40% of whale deaths since 2016 were caused by human interactions, including vessel strikes or entanglement in fishing gear. They have not concluded that any of the fatalities can be attributed to an increase in activities associated with the construction of offshore wind farms, a fear of environmentalists. In 2016, a 25-foot humpback got stuck on a sandbar off East Moriches, and local residents assembled to pull away the sand to set it free. They were blocked by federal officials and watched horrified as the whale was euthanized. Federal policy has since been changed to prevent a similar tragedy.

Atlantic Marine Conservation Society

“There's no problem that our incredible members can't solve,” the Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees posted. “When a deceased whale washed up on the shores of Smith Point County Park, Suffolk County DPW workers set out to clear the beach as quickly as possible. Using a dedicated, heavy-duty chain that the team refers to as the ‘Whale Chain’, our members worked to clear the scene and restore the beach to visitor-friendly conditions. Today and every day, Suffolk works because we do! We offer our sincere gratitude to our dedicated members for their efforts.”

Long Island’s Atlantic coast has been a cetacean graveyard so far this year, with whales washing in at East Atlantic Beach in Hempstead, Shinnecock Inlet, and Robert Moses State Park. The individual deaths are not associated with the heartbreaking mass stranding events that have occurred in other areas where multiple whales inexplicably beach themselves. The public is urged to immediately report any sightings of live whales in distress or stranded or dead whales to the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at 866-755-6622.