Dead humpback whale washes ashore

A dead humpback whale washed ashore at North Shores May 4 - the fifth dead humpback reported in Delaware in the last year.

“Normally you wouldn't see that many in 10 years,” said Suzanne Thurman, executive director of the Marine, Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute. Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared an unusual mortality event along the Atlantic coast after a total of 42 dead humpback whales were found from Maine to North Carolina.

At this point, it's unclear how the whale died, Thurman said. She estimates it is a juvenile, about 25-30 feet long and likely has been dead for several days. Large cuts, likely caused by propellers, were found on the whale's mid-section, tail and fins, along with shark bites, she said.

“We will process samples looking for underlying conditions,” Thurman said, adding that it's unclear how the other whales found near Delaware died. She said the propellers cuts were likely post-mortem wounds.

The whale was first reported by a member of the public around 10:30 a.m. when it was seen floating in the water off Deauville Beach in Rehoboth. By the afternoon, an incoming tide had washed it ashore.

Thurman said she plans to remove the head of the whale found at North Shores to examine it and the brain for any trauma or disease presence. She said time is not in MERR's favor, as a necropsy on an animal that large usually takes from 7 a.m. until dusk. With severe thunderstorms predicted for May 5, Thurman, MERR volunteers and staff from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control remained on the beach trying to figure out how to dispose of the whale and collect viable samples for testing.

Humpback whales were one of the first species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, but populations have rebounded. NOAA shows populations in the Atlantic Ocean are no longer at risk.

Humpbacks can reach up to 55 feet in length and weigh about 1,500 pounds per foot, Thurman said.

Thurman urges people who might be in the area to avoid any contact with the whale, and to keep pets away from the water and sand nearby. While it is unclear how the whale died, it is possible it may have a disease potentially transmittable to people or pets.

For more about MERR, go to merrinstitute.org.

Editor's note: This story will be updated if new information becomes available.