Injured Juvenile Humpback Whale Dies Stranded Long Beach Island New Jersey

A young humpback whale measuring around 29 feet was found stranded and lethargic on a sandbar off the coast of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, suffering from severe injuries including wounds consistent with a previous propeller strike. Despite efforts by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center and local authorities to assess and aid the whale, its prognosis was extremely poor, and plans for humane euthanasia were delayed due to inaccessible terrain caused by recent beach erosion and nightfall. Sedatives were administered to keep the whale comfortable overnight, but it was discovered deceased the following morning. The stranding caused significant internal damage to the whale due to its body weight crushing internal organs without water buoyancy, a common risk for beached cetaceans. The loss deeply saddened the rescue team and local community, highlighting the challenges of marine animal rescue and the increasing presence of humpback whales along the Jersey Shore. Despite the tragic outcome, the response efforts reflected a strong commitment to marine life protection in the region.