A young female humpback whale was found stranded and deceased on Rexhame Beach in Marshfield, MA the day after Christmas, raising concerns over a surge in whale deaths along the Atlantic coastline.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), based in Plymouth, responded quickly after receiving the report. The juvenile whale, estimated to be 27.4 feet long and likely less than three years old, was examined by WDC’s Marine Animal Rescue and Response (MARR) team. They conducted an external exam, captured photographs for identification, and collected genetic and organ samples before the whale was buried by sunset.
“This number of whale strandings in our response area is unprecedented,” said Lauren Brandkamp, WDC’s Stranding Coordinator. “We are heartbroken, exhausted, and devastated by these losses, but absolutely committed to understanding the reason this is happening.”
The Christmas stranding marks the sixth large whale death in WDC’s response zone since July. This alarming streak began with a humpback whale carcass floating off the Massachusetts coast and continued with three minke whale strandings in August and September. December alone has seen two other young humpback whales stranded in the area.
These strandings are part of a larger crisis. Since 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been investigating what it calls an “unusual mortality event” impacting humpbacks, minkes, and endangered right whales along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida.
In recent weeks, the toll has grown. On Dec. 9, a whale was found on Plymouth’s Bayside Beach. Another washed ashore in Brewster days later. Similar cases have been reported in Rhode Island and New York.
For now, the losses leave conservationists and coastal communities mourning—and searching for answers.
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