The difficulties of dealing with a whale carcass washed ashore

It is difficult to estimate how many animals die at sea every year. Only a small fraction is washed in close enough to be visible in the tide or even wash ashore. In the case of large whales, this situation can either be devastating to see, pose a chance for research, or be a logistical nightmare, depending on the person coming across it.

It is a dilemma the Marine Mammal Stranding Center has to deal with periodically throughout the year. Just last week, the carcass of a 30-foot, two-ton humpback whale was washed in with the tide in Townsend between Sea Isle City and Avalon, Philadelphia. Usually, a necropsy would be performed on the carcass to find a possible cause of the stranding before it is buried on the beach. However, in this case, the situation is more difficult. The body parked itself in the shallows of the inlet which are very difficult to navigate. At the same time, the body can easily be moved by the tide in the shallow water which makes a direct approach dangerous for the volunteers. In addition to that danger, sharks have already started to feed on the carcass, making direct contact impossible.

The dead humpback whale is laying inaccessibly in the shallow waters of the Townsend inlet

For now, the marine experts can do nothing but wait and hope for the tide to either move the carcass out or to a more accessible place. To be able to track its location, the body was equipped with a tracking device. In case it washes up on someone’s property down the coastline, the burial procedure could be initiated immediately. Though it seems inevitable, MMSC hopes that the latter will not be the case as the sight and the smell of the rotting animal would be very unpleasant for the residents.

Still, they point out that “while it is upsetting to some, death of marine life, like all other animal deaths, is just the circle of life.” This year alone, 12 animals were buried in their municipality, so people laying on the beach often “don’t even know they are on top of a whale.” “People don’t see how many animals die at sea. It is just something that happens in life. But when humans see it, they gain more of a perspective about marine life.”

The full article can be found here: https://ocnjdaily.com/dead-whale-stuck-in-townsends-inlet/