Park rangers say that the carcass of a humpback whale washed ashore on Fire Island Tuesday afternoon.
The Fire Island National Seashore posted a photo on Facebook of the mammal on the sand on a section of the island’s beach. It’s not clear how long it had been ashore.
A spokeswoman for the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation told Newsday that the organization was making plans to do an on-scene necropsy.
The whale washed ashore in an area not easily accessible. She says the necropsy has to be done on the scene at low tide.
She says heavy equipment will be needed to pull the whale away from the surf on Wednesday. A thunderstorm is expected Wednesday afternoon.
Newsday reports that another humpback whale washed ashore in Westhampton last week. Officials concluded the animal likely died after being hit by a ship because a necropsy found extensive bleeding all around its body.
Humpacks whales have been considered endangered but the federal government suggested Monday that they be removed from the list.
