Huge humpback whale washes ashore on New York coast – the 15th in weeks

Scientists are baffled as to why more than a dozen whales have washed up along the New York coastline in recent months.

The latest, a 35-foot humpback whale, washed ashore and later died on a New York beach, one of several cetaceans discovered over the past two months along the coastal stretch of New York and New Jersey.

An autopsy will be performed on the giant mammal that was discovered Monday morning at Lido Beach West Town Park on Long Island.

Officials said it was still alive when found but died a short time later, according to news outlets.

“This is by far the largest,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin told News 12. “The crews that have been here for almost two decades have never seen a whale this size. It’s 35-feet-long. Just pulling it up on the shore, we had to bring in a heavy crane. And the wires were snapping because of the tonage it was required to really bring it to higher ground.”

The animal showed no obvious signs of trauma.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is responsible for the nation’s oceans and fisheries, said 19 humpback whales were stranded last year along the US Atlantic coast.

“We do not know if it is the same whale that was spotted off New Jersey over the weekend, and are currently considering them to be different animals until we have more information,” NOAA spokeswoman Allison Ferreira said.

Despite continued outcry from Clean Ocean Action, the NOAA say no evidence has been found to tie pre-construction of offshore wind turbines in the region to the whale deaths.