Officials from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are investigating the mysterious, tragic death of an endangered whale, according to CBS News.
What's happening?
On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay made a gruesome discovery at New Jersey's Gloucester City Marine Terminal in South Jersey, directly across from Philadelphia on the Delaware River.
A deceased whale, "tentatively identified as a fin whale," was discovered on the bow of a container ship, according to the Philly Voice.
The MMSC issued a statement Monday after assessing the scene and arranging transport of the whale's carcass for a necropsy to confirm its species and cause of death. The group added that NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement was investigating the tragic incident.
According to NOAA Fisheries, fin whales are "typically found in deep, offshore waters" and "travel in the open seas, away from the coast," making them "difficult to track."
It was unclear whether the unidentified container ship struck the whale, causing its death, or if the vessel merely collided with the whale's carcass, inadvertently towing it to port.
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Why is this whale's death concerning?
NOAA Fisheries is monitoring a lengthy spate of unusual mortality events involving three whale species: humpback whales, minke whales, and North Atlantic right whales.
A UME is defined as "a stranding that is unexpected, involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population, and demands immediate response," among seven distinct conditions established by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Fin whales are listed under the Endangered Species Act and classified as "depleted" under the MMPA, per NOAA Fisheries. The incident followed two whale deaths in New Jersey in August and October, both of which were ultimately attributed to vessel strikes.
As ABC News reported, several whale species remain under threat, not just from boat collisions but also from fishing gear entanglements and the broad effects of rising temperatures on land and at sea.
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After a dead fin whale washed ashore in Delaware in March, per WCAU, experts noted that the species was rarely seen in such shallow waters, an indicator of potential distress or food scarcity.
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What's being done about it?
NOAA declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, but the agency has urgently solicited tips from the public to help determine the cause of the fin whale's death.
Anyone with information can contact NOAA Fisheries' Enforcement Hotline, which is staffed 24/7, at 800-853-1964.
The MMSC's hotline, 609-266-0538, is always open for concerned citizens to report marine mammals in distress, as is the NOAA Fisheries reporting app.
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