A massive fin whale has been found dead and beached on the bow of a ship at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in South Jersey, prompting a federal investigation into the circumstances surrounding its death.
According to wildlife officials, the 25-30 foot long carcass was discovered by the U.S. Coast Guard's Delaware Bay sector around 11:15 pm Sunday night. The marine mammal, an endangered species that typically inhabits waters from New York south to Cape May, is believed to have been caught on the bow of an unidentified ship.
Experts from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) were dispatched to the scene Monday morning to conduct a necropsy and determine the cause of death. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement will lead the investigation, which is part of a larger effort to understand the recent surge in stranding events involving humpback whales.
The discovery has sparked renewed debate about the potential impact of offshore wind development on marine life in the region. While some have suggested that wind surveying and construction activities may be contributing to whale deaths, federal agencies have found no conclusive evidence to support these claims. In many cases, stranded whales have been found with injuries consistent with ship strikes or entanglement in fishing nets.
In fact, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently announced $3.7 million in funding for ecological research on offshore wind energy and whale behavior in the state's offshore wind lease areas. The industry has faced significant economic challenges and political opposition from the Trump administration, which paused leases for several East Coast projects citing national security risks.
The discovery of this fin whale has raised questions about the safety of marine life in the region and the potential environmental impacts of offshore wind development. As the investigation continues, MMSC will provide updates on its findings at the Gloucester Marine Terminal.
According to wildlife officials, the 25-30 foot long carcass was discovered by the U.S. Coast Guard's Delaware Bay sector around 11:15 pm Sunday night. The marine mammal, an endangered species that typically inhabits waters from New York south to Cape May, is believed to have been caught on the bow of an unidentified ship.
Experts from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) were dispatched to the scene Monday morning to conduct a necropsy and determine the cause of death. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement will lead the investigation, which is part of a larger effort to understand the recent surge in stranding events involving humpback whales.
The discovery has sparked renewed debate about the potential impact of offshore wind development on marine life in the region. While some have suggested that wind surveying and construction activities may be contributing to whale deaths, federal agencies have found no conclusive evidence to support these claims. In many cases, stranded whales have been found with injuries consistent with ship strikes or entanglement in fishing nets.
In fact, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently announced $3.7 million in funding for ecological research on offshore wind energy and whale behavior in the state's offshore wind lease areas. The industry has faced significant economic challenges and political opposition from the Trump administration, which paused leases for several East Coast projects citing national security risks.
The discovery of this fin whale has raised questions about the safety of marine life in the region and the potential environmental impacts of offshore wind development. As the investigation continues, MMSC will provide updates on its findings at the Gloucester Marine Terminal.
. Beached whales are never easy to see, but it's especially heartbreaking when they're as big as fin whales 
. I mean, can you even imagine being out there in the open ocean, minding your own business, and then suddenly finding yourself on someone else's bow? It's just not right 
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. The gov't's already doing some research, but I hope they're taking the time to listen to the experts and get a handle on what's really going on 
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. I just wish we could find that balance between progress and protection for our planet's amazing creatures 
That's so sad for that fin whale 
. They gotta do more research to figure out what's goin' on with all these whales stranding 
. Offshore wind development can't hurt, but maybe we need to be more careful 
. Hope the MMSC finds some answers soon 
. Its like, we no offshore wind is comin but does it really harm whales tho? 
I mean, some ppl say it might b cause of ship strikes or gettin caught in fishing nets 
but others think its just a coincidence 
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. Let's hope that this investigation brings some answers and maybe even some solutions to prevent these kinds of incidents in the future 
. The $3.7 million funding is a good start, but I think we need more transparency and collaboration between industries and governments to make sure our oceans are protected 
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anyway, its a big deal and hopefully they can learn more from this so it doesn't happen again
. And to think it happened right in front of the ship, which is pretty wild 
. But what really gets me is that we're still debating about whether offshore wind development is affecting marine life or not 
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. These whales are already struggling, we shouldn't have to wait for some scientific study to tell us what's going on 
rather than just reacting to each individual incident.
The finding of a massive fin whale beached on a ship's bow is super worrying. You got to wonder if it was indeed a result of a ship strike or entanglement in fishing nets, which kinda sucks for the poor whale 
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. Like, what's really goin' on here? The gov't is sayin' it's just a ship strike or entanglement, but I'm thinkin' there's more to it than that. I mean, we're already seein' all these whales strandin' themselves and dyin', and now this one beached in the middle of Gloucester Marine Terminal? That's like, what are the chances, right? 
And don't even get me started on the offshore wind development. I'm not sayin' it's definitely causin' all these whale deaths, but somethin' ain't addin' up. Maybe there's some sorta cover-up goin' on? I'd want to know more about this investigation and what they're really lookin' into 
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. Can't believe this is just happening in our own backyard 
OMG, have you seen that massive fin whale just beached on a ship in South Jersey? 
That's a lot of cash, but will it be enough to prevent more whale deaths? 
. I mean, we all knew it was a risk with offshore wind development coming up but I guess we didn't realize the impact would be this real