In a remarkable sight, a colossal whale carcass, comparable in size to a city bus, made its way onto a Queens beach on Thursday, as captured in awe-inspiring photographs.
The 40-foot-long Sei whale was found on Rockaway Beach near Beach 95th Street early in the morning. It was initially spotted by an aerial survey team floating 15 miles off the coast of Long Island on Wednesday, as reported by the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.
Authorities from the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid-Atlantic have teamed up with the conservation society to oversee the situation and ensure the safety of the massive marine creature.
Plans are underway for the team to document the whale and perform a necropsy on Friday to determine the cause of death.
Dramatic images showed the enormous Sei whale stretched across the sand at the water’s edge, drawing attention from onlookers.
The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society emphasized the importance of safety in their statement, advising people to contact trained responders and maintain a distance of 150 feet to protect both the animal and themselves.
“It is important to remember that whales in the surf are still dangerous, even when deceased.”
Sei whales are classified as endangered because their population was greatly reduced by commercial whaling in the 19th and 20th centuries, according to NOAA.
They prefer temperate waters and can be found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
The New York Bight, the coastal area between the city, Long Island and the Jersey shore, had 10 whale fatalities last year, according to Gothamist.
