{"id":551096,"date":"2026-03-28T20:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T20:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/551096\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T20:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T20:53:09","slug":"experts-find-cause-of-death-for-whale-washed-up-on-rockaway-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/551096\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts find cause of death for whale washed up on Rockaway beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sei whale washed up on a Rockaway Beach<\/a> was likely killed in a collision with a boat, scientists have revealed. <\/p>\n

Biologists from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society performed a necropsy on the massive, 45-foot mammal <\/a>that washed up on the beach Thursday, said officials.<\/p>\n

The necropsy, or animal autopsy, revealed the whale had distinctive abrasions along its right side, and an internal examination revealed extensive bruising in the surrounding tissues on the right side of the body, said officials, reported PIX11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"AThe whale washed up on Rockaway Beach in Queens on March 26 and the next day an initial necropsy showed the whale had been struck by a boat. Facebook\/AMSEAS<\/p>\n

These preliminary findings are consistent with a suspected boat strike as the likely cause of death.<\/p>\n

The 40-foot whale was first spotted floating about 15 miles off the Long Island coast before it drifted toward land and landed on the shore near Beach 95.<\/p>\n

Swarms of the curious rushed to take photos of the whale and had to be cordoned off behind yellow tape, according to a Facebook post<\/a> of the heartbreaking scene. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s extremely dangerous to stand near a dead whale, said experts<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"AThe 40-foot mammal was a Sei whale, which can weigh up to 20 tons. NYSDEC<\/p>\n

When a deceased whale becomes beached, decomposition begins almost immediately. The whale\u2019s body begins to bloat, and the sunlight\u2019s heat hastens the process.<\/p>\n

As the gasses expand, the skin thins and begins to give way. The pressure inside the whale builds to dangerous levels and can result in explosive consequences \u2014 and devastating injuries for anyone standing nearby. <\/p>\n

Sei whales are listed under the Endangered Species Act,<\/a> according to NOAA.<\/p>\n

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