More on that beached finback whale on the shore of Breezy Point

Image source: WSJ

UPDATE (12/27): according to Huffington Post, the whale has appeared to have died. RIP, sweet whale.

We mentioned this beached young adult finback whale in last night’s QNYC Evening Edition, and were hopeful for a positive turn overnight, but things still look grim. Folks from the Riverhead Foundation (they are the official rescuer of stranded marine mammals in the area) believe that nothing can be done to save the whale. We had read that the whale was severely emaciated – biologists believe it weighs about half its healthy weight (25 to 30 tons) and its ribs are showing, which is not a good sign. It’s possible that it hasn’t eaten for an extended period, or that it’s simply ill. The whale was also bleeding from its tail.

The 60 foot long whale was found at Beach 216th Street and Palmer Place (GMAP) about 10:39am on Wednesday. This is along the shore of the Rockaway Inlet (on the north side of the peninsula) and not the area of Breezy Point that burned down during Hurricane Sandy, though many of the homes on Palmer are still uninhabitable since the hurricane.

Marine biologists have assessed the animal and do not expect it to survive. Euthanasia has been suggested as the humane solution, and because of the large amount of chemicals that would be needed to euthanize an animal of this size (it’s also 60 feet long), the animal would have to be disposed in a landfill for biological waste. It cannot be sent back into the water because of environmental concerns. It will also likely be necropsied to determine what contributed to its death.

Lou Bassolino, 66, of Breezy Point, found the whale originally, really wanted to save it, or find people that could. He said, “We’ve been through so much devastation here, we just wanted to save something. We wanted to save that whale.”

The Rockaways have been the location of other large marine animals washing ashore as well as swimming past. Earlier this year in September, a dolphin washed ashore in Far Rockaway, and later died. Also in September a humpback whale swam past the Rockaways.

Grim Prognosis for a 60-Ton Whale Stranded on a Beach in Queens [NYT]
Beached whale in Breezy Point not expected to survive [Newsday]
Rescuers Try to Save Whale Washed Ashore in Queens [WSJ]
Dolphin Dies Hours After Beaching Itself In Far Rockaway [CBS]