The dead humpback whale had washed ashore on Christmas Eve at a New Jersey state park.
Due to temperatures below the freezing point, the entire carcass was frozen solid. This did not only keep scientists from performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death, it also made disposal of the body impossible. Normally, the dead whale would be cut up into pieces and transported into a landfill. However, in this case, the stranding team could “not even cut into the blubber”.
The 20 feet (6 metres) long carcass quickly drew many visitors. To decrease the possibility of health hazards and transmitted diseases, authorities decided to bury the whale on the shore. Two excavators were necessary to dig a ditch big enough for the whale to find its rest.
The full article can be found here: Whale Carcass Washes Ashore at NJ Beach on Christmas – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com)
Comments