Dead Humpback Whale Towed to Beach
The carcass of a dead humpback whale that ran aground in Gardiner's Bay off Napeague has been towed to Little Albert's Landing Beach and will be removed sometime on Wednesday.
At the request of East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation hopped a ride with Marine Patrol officers to determine if the carcass would withstand being towed. The decision was made Tuesday afternoon to move it to the beach, where it will be dissected for a necropsy. The rest of it will be disposed of.
Mr. Cantwell said Tuesday afternoon that there was reason to believe the whale's body might become adrift due to the strong east winds and rising tide. "At that point it could have washed up anywhere," he said. "I would rather be able to control the situation to the extent that we can and know it can be taken care of." It would be more trouble to deal with it if it were to wash ashore on rocks or in an area with no beach access.
The whale, about 20 to 25 feet long, was towed using a line that was secured to one of its fins from a Marine Patrol boat, Ed Michels, the chief harbormaster said. Once it arrived at Little Albert's Beach, a rope and a line was attached to the carcass so it could be secured from the shore. Kim Durham, a biologist with the Riverhead Foundation, was aboard during the effort.
The Riverhead Foundation will return on Wednesday to perform the necropsy, according to Rachel Bosworth, a spokeswoman for the foundation. "At that time, they will be able to take measurements, samples, and determine the gender and age of the whale as well," she said. Samples will be sent to a pathologist. Results can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, she said.
Patrick Bistrian Jr. Inc., which has a contract for various machinery with the town, will remove the whale on Wednesday with an excavator, according to Stephen Lynch, the highway superintendent. He estimated the cost would be "a few thousand dollars — nothing astronomical."
Mr. Lynch, who went down to the beach on Tuesday afternoon, said the carcass didn't smell too much, yet, which he attributed to the cold waters.
The foundation received information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that two other humpback whales, one in Newport, R.I., and the other in Marshfield, Mass., were found dead in recent days. The Mystic Aquarium was investigating the death of the Rhode Island whale, and the New England Aquarium was looking at the whale in Marshfield, Ms. Bosworth said. "At this time it is unclear whether any of these occurrences are related in any way, and all organizations will be reporting their findings to NOAA," she said.