Marine life researchers hope samples taken from a young humpback whale whose body washed ashore at Rexhame Beach in Marshfield on Thursday will offer more information into her cause of death.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a marine advocacy group who’s North American headquarters is in Plymouth, received a report through its stranding hotline of a dead whale floating offshore in Marshfield mid-morning Dec. 26, according to Lauren Brandkamp, a stranding coordinator with the nonprofit organization
“Within the hour, it stranded on the beach, and we determined that it was a juvenile female humpback,” said Brandkamp. “Our team responded and was able to do a limited necropsy.”
A necropsy is an animal autopsy.
How big and how old the whale found on Rexhame Beach in Marshfield was
People look at a young humpback whale that washed ashore at Rexhame Beach in Marshfield on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024.
Brandkamp estimates the whale weighed 10,000-15,000 pounds. Additional information from Whale and Dolphin Conservation said the whale measured 27.4-feet long and was likely less than 3 years old.
“We sent a picture of her fluke to the Center for Coastal Studies, and they have the catalog of all of the humpbacks in the region,” she said. “If they are able to match her, they may have a birth year for her.”
Where the Marshfield humpback whale is now
Brandkamp said the whale was buried onsite the day of the stranding with help from the Marshfield DPW.
What the onsite review of the humpback’s carcass found
Brandkamp said the timing of the stranding with Christmas and what she described as “crazy waves” at the beach hindered them from conducting as extensive of an exam on the whale as they normally would.
She said the humpback did not show any immediate signs of external injury from a vessel strike or getting caught in fishing nets, both of which are common causes of death for humpback and other whales.
A cursory examination of the whale’s organs also did not provide much in the way of immediate information, Brandkamp said.
“The samples we took will be sent to a lab so we can hopefully get a little more insight into whether she was suffering from an infectious disease or something else on that idea,” she said. There is no set timeline for when those results will come in.
Whale deaths are on the rise
Since 2016, a rising number of humpback, minke, right and other whale species have died in increasing numbers along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida in what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has called “an unusual mortality event.”
The deaths have been largely due to vessel strikes and net entanglements, but infections and other medical issues have contributed to the rising number.
Brandkamp and others have noted that many of the fish the whales consume have been found closer to shore and are remaining in the region longer as the waters continue to warm, which increases the risk that the whales could experience those strikes and entanglements.
People look at a young humpback whale that washed ashore at Rexhame Beach in Marshfield on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024.
Several whales have died in Massachusetts recently
Whale and dolphins’ local coverage area extends from Weymouth to Plymouth, and Brandkamp said the increased whale mortality rate is something easily observable in the region over just the past few months.
“There have certainly been elevated numbers for us,” she said.
In addition to the Marshfield whale, a dead whale washed up on Bayside Beach in Plymouth on Dec. 9. In Brewster, the carcass of another humpback whale washed ashore on the beach between Crosby Landing Beach and Linnell Landing Beach the weekend of Dec. 14.
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Five large, beached whales have died recently along shores between Weymouth and Plymouth, according to information from Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
While each whale death is a loss, Brandkamp said losing one so young is especially hard.
“It’s heartbreaking to see another young animal die,” she said. “We’re just hoping that we get some information from her and that her life can help determine what we can do to help other whales going forward.
How to report distressed and deceased marine mammals to Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Anyone who comes across a marine mammal from Weymouth to Plymouth that is either in distress or deceased can call Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s hotline at 617-688-6872.
In addition to calling the hotline, the organization asks that anyone who encounters such incidents stay at least 150 feet away from the animal, note the location and take photos if possible.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: What killed whale that stranded at Rexhame Beach?