AMSEAS Responds to Minke Whale That Stranded Alive in Oyster Bay
Minke whale, photo taken by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Atlantic Marine Conservation Society “AMSEAS” received a report of a minke whale that stranded alive on a private beach on Cove Neck Road in Oyster Bay on Saturday, May 16, 2020. After receiving the report from local authorities, a team headed to the beach to assess the situation. With restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued to take every safety measure necessary.
Upon arrival, biologists determined the 10-foot male minke whale was in poor body condition and significantly underweight. The sub-adult (3 to 8 years old) weighed approximately 1,000 pounds, whereas a healthy animal of that age should weigh approximately 3,000 pounds. The most humane course of action was to euthanize the animal.
On Sunday, May 16, the team returned to conduct the necropsy examination. The whale had no food in its stomach, indicating that it had not eaten in a while. The most significant findings aside from poor body condition include signs of chronic brain infection and some infected wounds on the animal's tail. The cause of the injury is not available at this time. Samples were taken and will be sent to a pathologist to help confirm these underlying issues that may have caused this animal to strand. Results may take several months to come back. The remains were disposed of at the transfer station in Oyster Bay.
This is AMSEAS’ second large whale response of the year. Minke whales are currently part of an unusual mortality event (UME) that has been in effect along the Atlantic coast since 2017. This is the 15th minke whale to die under the UME in New York State. More information can be found from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries here.
AMSEAS worked with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NOAA Fisheries, Oyster Bay Bay Constable, Old Brookville Police, Department of Environmental Resources, and the Old Bethpage Waste Facility in this response. A special thanks to the waste facility for their amazing support today. The team worked to ensure the safety of all involved, following social distancing guidelines and safety practices under NYS Governor Cuomo’s “New York on PAUSE” policy.
“We have been building large whale response plans and procedures for decades,” shares AMSEAS founder and chief scientist Rob DiGiovanni. “These are unprecedented times and each stranding is unique. Building upon these plans and working together with the above partner organizations is essential in understanding what threats these animals face. This was a great team and we worked well together. We could not have done this without them.”
The public is encouraged to practice social distancing and report marine mammal and sea turtle strandings to the NYS Stranding Hotline at 631.369.9829. Sightings of marine wildlife are also helpful and can be shared with AMSEAS by emailing sightings@amseas.org.
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