Two more dead humpback whales spotted off coast of NY, NJ
Two dead humpback whales have been found floating off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, according to officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the nonprofit organization Marine Mammal Stranding Center. The whales were spotted off Raritan Bay in New Jersey and Wainscott, New York. Biologists from various organizations are assessing their resources to respond, says Marine Mammal Stranding Center. It is not clear when the whales were first found, but a witness took a photograph off the New Jersey coast at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, according to NJ.com. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Service are working together to relocate the bodies.
These appear to be two of at least 23 other humpback whales that have been stranded on the East Coast this year, with at least seven in New Jersey and five in New York. NOAA has called the situation an ongoing “unusual mortality event” among cetacean species. About 40% of the stranded whales show signs of human interaction, such as ship strike or entanglement, data from NOAA shows.
FAqs
Q: Why are there so many humpback whales stranded on the East Coast this year?
A: NOAA has called it an ongoing “unusual mortality event,” but the cause is unknown. About 40% of the stranded whales show signs of human interaction, such as ship strike or entanglement.
Q: Are wind turbines responsible for the deaths?
A: Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, believes sonar systems used by vessels surveying the ocean floor to prepare to place wind turbines harm marine mammals’ sense of hearing. However, a NOAA spokesperson rejected the idea, saying, “there is no evidence to support speculation that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales, and no specific links between recent large whale mortalities and currently ongoing surveys.”
Q: What is being done about the stranded whales?
A: Biologists from various organizations are assessing their resources to respond. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Service are working together to relocate the bodies.
NY, NJ coastline witnesses two additional dead humpback whales.
Two more humpback whales have been found dead off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, according to officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the nonprofit organization, Marine Mammal Stranding Center. The whales were discovered off Raritan Bay in New Jersey and Wainscott, New York. Biologists from various organizations are assessing their resources to respond. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Service are working together to relocate the whales. The two carcasses are among at least 23 others to have been found stranded on the East Coast this year. At least seven humpback whales have been stranded in New Jersey and five in New York, prompting NOAA to describe it as an unusual mortality event among the cetaceans. Approximately 40% of the whales have shown evidence of human involvement, either through ship strikes or entanglement. Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore has suggested that sonar used by vessels could be harming the species’ hearing, leading to strandings, collisions and entanglement. However, NOAA denies there is any connection between the whales’ deaths and survey vessels’ sonar.