Marine animal death: Federal authorities investigating after ‘butchered’ dolphin found ashore New Jersey beach
People line up to see, touch whale
While biologists work to understand the cause of the animal’s death, hundreds of people, including families and students, trekked across the mud flats in cold, windy conditions to see the animal and touch it. However, no one was allowed to take any part of the whale unless they were an Alaska Native doing it for subsistence or use in handicrafts, Angelo said.
Among the dozens of visitors was Daisy Grandlinard, who brought a group of children to see the whale Monday.
“It was really interesting for the kids to be able to feel it, touch the bottom because it kind of had tracks on it, like a sled almost. And just to see the size of it, that was pretty cool,” Grandlinard told Anchorage Daily News. “We had already studied whales a couple of weeks ago, so it was fun to see one in person and say, ‘Oh, that’s what the baleen looks like in real life,’ and ‘Where is the blow hole?'”
While biologists untied the carcass Tuesday night after the post-mortem was conducted to let nature take its course, Mahoney said the body is still on the shore and it would be a while before it moves given the weather and tides.
“The freezing temperatures, tides, and limited day length has been challenging, and human safety is always a priority during any stranding response,” NOAA said.
To report an injured or stranded whale, contact NOAA Fisheries Alaska Statewide 24-hour Stranding Hotline at (877) 925-7773.
This story was updated to add more information and images.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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Publish date : 2024-11-20 05:18:00
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