PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The carcass of a humpback whale washed ashore in Plymouth on Tuesday in what conservation officials are calling the fourth large whale stranding in the region since July.
A cause of death remains under investigation pending a necropsy. That process will likely take months, officials said.
A team from the Plymouth-based Whale and Dolphin Conservation responded after receiving reports of a stranded humpback whale off Center Hill Road in Plymouth, a spokesperson for the group said.
The team examined the carcass, took its measurements and secured the carcass on due to a forecasted storm.
Officials said there has been a “significant increase” in whale strandings in the region over previous years.
In the latest stranding in Plymouth, Whale and Dolphin Conservation team members reached out to the Wampanoag Tribe to give them an opportunity to perform a ceremony and pay their respects to the dead whale, officials said.
NOAA Fisheries officials ask the public to maintain a safe distance from all marine mammals, and to report all stranded marine mammals and sea turtles to NOAA’s marine mammal and sea turtle stranding hotline at 1-866-755-6622.
Anyone who sees a stranded whale, dolphin, or seal on the beach between Weymouth and Plymouth may also call 617-688-6872.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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