Whales in NJ.....

[captnemo]

LONG BRANCH — An endangered Fin whale has washed up dead on the beach in Seven Presidents' Park, park officials said today.
The whale, which is about 40 feet long, was found by rangers upon opening the park this morning, said Senior Park Manager Mark Borchert.

Borchert said experts from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine were on the scene awaiting the arrival of equipment that will help them stabilize the mammal, which is currently rolling in the surf.

He said individuals from the Stranding Center will then conduct a necropsy on site to try to determine the cause of the whale's death.

Sheila Dean of the Stranding Center said the Center currently had little information, but said that the whale was significantly decomposed when it was found.

She encouraged Jersey Shore residents to visit the Center's Web site -- www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org -- where they can learn more about strandings and what to do if they find an animal in distress.



A Fish and Wildlife representative said they might be closing the beach in that area for swimmers because they are worried that the oils and scents from the decaying whale may attract sharks for miles around. I'd stay away from that area if you are planning a trip to the beach with the family.

[fishinmission78]

Must have stunk pretty bad, heard they chopped it up and put in a landfill.

[katiefishes]

Didn't even know we had fin whales in this area.

[cowherder]

Neither did I. Heard about that, but didn't get there in time to see it.

[seamonkey]

Sad end to one of life's great creatures.

[plugginpete]

thought they might have found one of my cousins, those pasta princesses could give oprah a run for her money.

[buckethead]

I thought it was my wife.

[fishinmission78]

My friend just called and said a whale washed up at IBSP. Anyone else here that, or have any pics?

[bababooey]

Humpback whale, 30' washed up on the beach this morning, pics from guppies site.

[bababooey]

Update: Ledger had a report this morning, reported it as a 55' fin whale. Guppie had better pics, tho.

[DarkSkies]

Heard it was pretty ripe

[LennyD]

i heard that too, there were shark bites on it

[storminsteve]

NYTimes
02/25/2009

A humpback whale has become entangled in fishing gear about eight miles offshore in New York waters, the Coast Guard said on Wednesday. Until the team from Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in New England arrives at the spot, near Sandy Hook, N.J., on Thursday, the Coast Guard has established a 500-yard safety zone around the stranded whale, which it announced via Twitter.


The Coast Guard boat first arrived at the scene around 12:30 p.m., which is close to the approach to the Ambrose Channel. It is not clear when the whale became entangled. The whale is about 25 to 30 feet long, and reportedly visible on the surface and breathing, said Barbara Patton, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said. However, the entanglement could be considered life-threatening.
Attached Images

[storminsteve]

Coast Guard establishes 500-yard safety zone around entangled humpback whale (Photos available)

NEW YORK - The Coast Guard is enforcing a 500-yard safety zone around a humpback whale entangled in a lobster pot and netting eight miles east of Sandy Hook near the approach to Ambrose Channel Feb. 25, 2009.
The Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel are on scene. The whale is reportedly visible on the surface and breathing.

An entanglement team from Center Coastal Studies based in Glouchester, Mass., is scheduled to arrive tomorrow to cut the whale free.
"We are ensuring the safety of both the animal and boaters," said Lt. j.g. Eric Hanson, Coast Guard Sector New York's command duty officer. "Coast Guard Sector New York is issuing safety marine broadcasts hourly on VHF channel 16 and will be working closely with the NOAA and other agencies to assist."

For more information regarding marine mammal stranding and entanglement, visit the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/.

[voyager35]

That's a shame, I hope they get her free.

[wish4fish]

free willy!!!

[storminsteve]

Here's the latest news. She should be ok now.




(02/26/09) ATLANTIC CITY (AP) - A humpback whale that became entangled in fishing gear off the New Jersey coast is free again. A three-member rescue crew cut away fishing line and other gear that had snagged the humpback whale that had been tangled in lobster netting and fishing line since Wednesday.

Rescuers say it suffered injuries to its back and tail, but managed to swim off on its own.

Federal wildlife officials were aided by a Massachusetts marine studies group in cutting the whale free Thursday.

The 25- to 30-foot whale had been snagged in gear about eight miles off Sandy Hook.

[basshunter]

Anyone see this whale before they carted it away?














http://www.app.com/article/20090727/...Monmouth+Beach





Dead humpback whale washes up in Monmouth Beach

Fraidy Reiss • July 27, 2009



MONMOUTH BEACH — A dead humpback whale washed up on the beach here.


However, because of the tide and the inopportune location, authorities cannot immediately perform a necropsy to find out more about the whale and why it died, said Jay Pagel, senior field technician for the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine.
"There's not much we can do about it until tomorrow," Pagel said Monday.
Until then, beachgoers should remain at least 100 yards away from the humpback whale, an endangered species protected under federal law, he said.
"We don't want people touching it or messing with it," Pagel said.
A whale on the beach is not uncommon, he added. Dead whales visit the Jersey shore a couple of times a year.


A dead humpback whale washed ashore in Monmouth Beach Monday morning.

[LennyD]

That's sad!
Did not heard about it.

[wish4fish]

i seen it, not that big, i been with chicks bigger than that, lol. pretty cool anyway