18-Foot Dead Whale Washed Up On Coney Island

A dead whale was washed up on the beach in Coney Island, reports say. The carcass of an 18-foot adult, female minke whale was found on Monday at 1:30 p.m near Ocean parkway and Surf Avenue, according to authorities.

World Nature News reports that biologists from the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, led by Kim Durham, conducted a necropsy on the whale. Reports stated that the dead minke whale was partly decapitated.

Sources also said that it may have appeared that the whale was hit by a boat propeller and died from the injuries before being washed up on shore. The accident may have happened the past two days, according to Durham.

"Due to the presence of internal bruising, propeller slices, and lacerations of a mechanical nature, the cause of death is consistent with a ship strike," a Riverhead Foundation spokesperson told New York’s PIX11.

Local resident, 55-year old Anthony Diaz said in the NY Daily News report that he had never seen a dead whale beached that way despite being a long-time resident in the area. “They come close to shore sometimes, but I’ve never seen one beached like this,” he said.

Paul Sieswerda of Gotham Whale, a research organisation that tracks marine life in New York City, said that minke whales are a rare sighting in the area. According to him, the species are usually spotted in deeper waters, and one that gets washed up is a rare occurrence.

Whale Facts states that minke whales are usually solitary animals, traveling in small pods consisting of two to three whales. Occasionally, they can be found joining larger ponds when foraging or feeding.

The dead whale was removed from the spot on Monday night, states the report. Riverhead foundation officials said that the carcass was deconstructed and taken to a city Parks facility to manage safe disposal. They have also taken samples from the dead animal for future studies.

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