AMSEAS Conducts Necropsy on Minke Whale in East Hampton

Atlantic Marine Conservation Society “AMSEAS” received a report of a live stranded minke whale in East Hampton. The whale was in poor condition and died shortly before the team arrived on scene. We worked with East Hampton Town Marine Patrol, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and NOAA Fisheries to plan the necropsy examination.

The team gathered initial information on the whale, which was a 16-foot female, and found that it was thin with barnacles on the fluke, a sign the whale may have been in poor health. The following day, the necropsy examination was performed. Initial findings are consistent with diseases found in other minke whales that have stranded under the unusual mortality event, including the minke whale that stranded in Oyster Bay in December 2018. Samples will be sent to a pathologist to confirm the cause of death as well.

AMSEAS thanks East Hampton Town Marine Patrol, Suffolk County Parks Department, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and NOAA Fisheries for their support, as well as Shinnecock Indian Nation for performing a blessing for the whale.

The public is encouraged to report injured and deceased marine mammals and sea turtles to the NYS Stranding Hotline by calling 631.369.9829. Sightings of marine wildlife are also helpful and can be shared with AMSEAS by emailing sightings@amseas.org.

News Coverage:
The East Hampton Star
Patch
Newsday