Dead Whale On Brighton Beach Most Likely Struck By Ship, Experts Say

The 20-foot whale that washed up on Brighton Beach yesterday afternoon most likely died after being struck by a ship’s propeller, said experts who examined the corpse.

“Due to the presence of internal bruising, propeller slices, and lacerations of a mechanical nature, the cause of death is consistent with a ship strike,” said Rachel Bosworth, spokesperson for the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, which performed an on-site necropsy yesterday. “The top portion of the whale’s head is missing, and it is likely that the whale was decapitated by a propeller.”

https://youtu.be/vzlJYHIt_8c

Riverhead’s biologists found that the whale, an adult female Minke – not a humpback as previously described by the NYPD – was in otherwise good health. The whale still had food in her stomach and had no obvious signs of illness.

The strike happened within the past one or two days, experts estimated, partially decapitating the massive marine mammal and slicing up other parts of its body.

The necropsy wrapped up around 9pm, and the whale’s body was then cut up by city workers and transported to a Parks Department facility for disposal. Samples were taken back to the foundation’s lab for further testing.

Riverhead said that Minkes are common in the area’s waters, though there have not been any recent cases of them washing up in the area.

The whale corpse was reported to 911 at noon yesterday, just east of Ocean Parkway in Brighton Beach. It became a spectacle in line with Coney Island amusements, widely photographed and spread around the web (appearing first on Sheepshead Bites). Here are a few more photos and videos submitted by readers: