Whale washes ashore at Cape Henlopen State Park

LEWES, Del. – Officials from Cape Henlopen State Park say they are investigating after a juvenile humpback whale came onshore at the park early Sunday afternoon.

Rob Rector, board of directions for the MERR Institute, told 47 ABC that a team of volunteers from the Institute reassessed everything Monday morning after receiving several reports about the whale on Sunday.

They are conducting a preliminary necropsy today to try to determine why the whale came ashore, including a full evaluation of external and internal factors. Officials say the young age of the whale generates even more concern regarding its death.

The 36-foot young female whale that we’re told from the MERR Institute showed evidence of vessel strike and a lot of blunt forced trauma.
Scientist also say that sharks likely picked at what was left.

Unfortunately, humpback whales like the one that washed ashore are experiencing an unusual mortality rates, even in Delaware over the last few years.

“For us here in Delaware this will be the sixth humpback whale that was part of the UME. That’s a huge number for us in this small area so since 2016 we have had six humpback whales that have died and this is happening all along the east coast,” explains Suzanne Thurman, MERR Institute Executive Director.

Since this is happening in other places marine institutes like MERR are trying to reach a common denominator that could maybe link to these recent deaths and that’s what the research of this whale will go towards, hopefully finding an answer.

We’re told MERR will send out samples to check the blood, parasites, intestinal issues, and more.