24 foot young humpback whale dies in shallow water off Wellfleeet, Massachusetts
A juvenile humpback whale died this week after several days of struggling in the shallows off Wellfleet, Massachusetts, the International Fund for Animal Welfare announced. The 24-foot, 7,900-pound whale was first reported in the area Tuesday night, and IFAW said the mammal died overnight. The body was removed Friday using a crane and IFAW said an autopsy will be performed Saturday to determine the whale’s cause of death. Humpback whales are an endangered species. According to NOAA, the species is recovering but is under constant threat from entanglement in fishing gear, ship collisions, intimidation of ships and underwater noise. Several other young humpback whales have recently feasted off the coast of Plymouth on Atlantic menhaden, also known as pogies. Based on body condition and markings, IFAW said researchers determined that the whale that died in Wellfleet was not a recently-cited whale near Plymouth. Sailors observing surface-feeding whales should do so from a safe distance of at least 30 feet, officials said. Officials have encouraged anyone who sees a skipper getting too close to a whale to report the incident via the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964.
A juvenile humpback whale died this week after several days of struggling in the shallows off Wellfleet, Massachusetts, the International Fund for Animal Welfare announced.
The 24-foot, 7,900-pound whale was first reported in the area Tuesday night, and IFAW said the mammal died overnight. The body was removed Friday using a crane and IFAW said an autopsy will be performed Saturday to determine the whale’s cause of death.
Humpback whales are an endangered species. According to NOAA, the species is recovering but is under constant threat from entanglement in fishing gear, ship collisions, intimidation from ships and underwater noise.
This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in a different format, or you can find more information on their website.
Several other young humpback whales have recently partied off the coast of Plymouth on Atlantic menhaden, also known as pogies. Based on the body condition and markings, IFAW said researchers determined that the whale that died in Wellfleet was not recently named near Plymouth.
On Sunday, a whale hit a fishing boat off Plymouth in the area where whales have been spotted several times in recent weeks.
Sailors observing surface-feeding whales should do so from a safe distance of at least 30 feet, officials said. Officials have encouraged anyone who sees a skipper getting too close to a whale to report the incident via the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964.
.