The 50-foot-long dead sperm whale that washed up Sunday on Nantucket will be taken back to sea to decompose for safety reasons.
Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket
November 21, 2025 | 11:28 AM
1 minute to read
The 50-foot-long dead sperm whale that washed up Sunday on the north shore of Nantucket will be taken back to sea to decompose for safety reasons, according to marine officials.
The whale, which weighs 104,000 pounds, was initially deemed “far too big, awkward and heavy to remove from the beach” on Monday by the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket (MMAN).
However, the volunteer non-profit organization posted Thursday on Facebook that the whale will be taken out to sea for safety reasons.
MMAN didn’t specify a timeline for the whale’s removal but said the Town of Nantucket is consulting with several contractors to remove the endangered animal from the beach and return it to the ocean where it can decompose.
“The safety of islanders, visitors and boaters is of paramount importance,” MMAN said in a statement. “The location being one of the most popular summer gathering beaches on the island, allowing decomposition on the beach or eventually washing out was not an option as it would cause serious hazard to beach goers, swimmers and vessels.”
Before the whale is removed from the beach, the MMAN team and biologists from the International Fund for Animal Welfare will administer a comprehensive on-site examination that includes “extensive” tissue and organ sampling with the goal of learning about the whale and determining a cause of death.
Officials anchored the whale to the shore on Sunday to prevent it from washing away and also attached a satellite carcass tag to track it if it broke free.
On Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement arrived on Nantucket to remove the whale’s lower jaw to prevent its teeth from being poached.
Visitors paid their respects to the whale before the operation began, scattering flowers and petals around the animal, MMAN said.
“Having the whale here has been a sobering event, but has provided a learning experience for all,” MMAN said.
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