A dead whale washed ashore on Rockaway Beach last week, following a likely vessel strike, according to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS).

The animal, later identified as a male sei whale approximately 45 feet in length, first washed ashore near Beach 96th Street during the morning hours of Thursday, March 26.

A dead, 45-foot male sei whale washed ashore near Beach 96th Street last week. Photos courtesy of NYSDEC

Just one day before the stranding, however, AMSEAS had received a notification from an aerial survey team about “a whale carcass floating offshore approximately 15 miles south of Long Island.” Upon arriving at the scene, AMSEAS confirmed the beached whale to be the same animal observed floating the day before after a photo match.

A necropsy examination determined the whale likely died from a “vessel strike.”

In the hours that followed, AMSEAS partnered with local authorities at the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid-Atlantic to secure and monitor the animal.

The next day, a necropsy examination took place on-site and revealed the animal “was in good body condition and had been eating prior to its death, as evidenced by findings of food within the digestive tract.” During the examination, however, AMSEAS biologists also discovered significant injuries to the whale’s body.

“The whale had distinctive abrasions along its right side, and the internal examination revealed extensive bruising in the surrounding tissues on the right side of the body, extending dorsally,” AMSEAS said in a statement. “These preliminary findings are consistent with a suspected vessel strike as the likely cause of death.”

Following the examination, the whale was buried on-site at Beach 97th Street in accordance with NOAA Fisheries’ best practices, according to AMSEAS.

Prior to the burial, AMSEAS reported that samples were collected from many parts of the whale, including blubber, tissues, and organs. These samples were sent to a pathologist for further analysis to confirm the preliminary necropsy findings.

Last week’s whale beaching marks the first one since May 2025, when a dead, decomposed whale washed ashore near Beach 97th Street. That whale, a 42-foot humpback, was also buried on site and suspected to have died from a vessel strike, although the state of decomposition prevented AMSEAS from confirming such.

To report future strandings of marine mammals and sea turtles in New York, please call the New York State Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline at (631) 369-9829. The public can also report sightings of healthy marine mammals and sea turtles in and around New York to sightings@amseas.org.