LIDO BEACH, NY (PIX11) —- A humpback whale that washed ashore on a Long Island beach likely died several days before the body was found, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson said after a Tuesday necropsy.
The whale’s body was found on Lido Beach, a South Shore park run by the Town of Hempstead, on Monday morning. Workers buried the whale on the beach after a necropsy.
Preliminary results from the necropsy indicate the whale, identified as a 40+-year-old male, likely died several days before washing ashore, according to the NOAA. A vessel strike is the likely cause of death.
“The animal was found to be in good body condition and presented evidence that it had been actively eating,” an NOAA spokesperson said.
This is at least the 10th whale to wash up on the shores of New York and New Jersey in just two months, according to the NOAA. The deaths have sparked community concern about the potential harm offshore wind farm development may be doing to marine life.
PIX11’s Kala Rama and Lauren Cook contributed to this report.