Dead Humpback Whale Washes Ashore in New Jersey

A 29.5-foot female humpback whale, already heavily decomposed, washed ashore at 130th Street in Beach Haven Terrace, Long Beach Township, New Jersey, on the morning of June 27. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, with local and federal officials, responded and transported the carcass to the township's Department of Public Works yard for examination and burial. Officials identified the whale as the same one seen floating dead 3.5 miles off Harvey Cedars on June 23. Due to the advanced decomposition, further biological sampling was not possible. The township will bury the remains at the public works yard according to protocol. This is the first dead humpback whale found in New Jersey in 2025 and the 24th in the last five years, with a peak in deaths recorded in 2023.