What to Know
- A dead humpback whale washed up in Long Beach on Friday, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said
- The female humpback whale may have been struck by a boat, the group said
- A necropsy "showed signs of extensive bruising consistent with vessel strike"
A dead whale that washed up in Long Beach on Friday may have been struck by a boat, a conservation group said.
The female humpback whale’s body washed ashore near Lafayette Boulevard in Long Beach, a spokeswoman for the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said.
The group arrived at the beach Saturday morning to conduct a necropsy on the whale. The necropsy “showed signs of extensive bruising consistent with vessel strike,” the spokeswoman said.
The whale was 32 feet long and approximately two to five years old, she added.
“The whale was moderately decomposed, and samples were taken to be sent to a pathologist to help determine the cause of death,” she said.
The whale was buried on the beach, according to the spokeswoman.
Local
Passersby who find a dead or living whale on a beach should keep at least 150 feet away from it, as the creatures are not only protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act but can transmit disease and pose safety risks, the spokeswoman noted.
