Article
Dead humpback whale spotted floating off Virginia Beach coast; retrieval underway
The Virginian-Pilot|Eliza Noe|February 8, 2023
The Virginia Aquarium received a report of a dead humpback whale floating in the waters off Virginia Beach, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Virginia Aquarium received a report of a dead humpback whale floating in the waters off Virginia Beach, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Virginia Aquarium received a report of a dead humpback whale floating in the waters off Virginia Beach, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
Arrangements were being made to bring the whale carcass, seen near Lynnhaven Beach by First Landing State Park, to the shore for an examination and necropsy. The aquarium’s Stranding Response Team is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers to secure the whale.
Beachgoers are being asked to not touch the whale and maintain a safe distance from the body and any associated gear. All whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Action, which makes it illegal to touch them.
In December, a dead 30-foot humpback washed ashore on Hatteras Island in the Outer …
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The Virginia Aquarium received a report of a dead humpback whale floating in the waters off Virginia Beach, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
Arrangements were being made to bring the whale carcass, seen near Lynnhaven Beach by First Landing State Park, to the shore for an examination and necropsy. The aquarium’s Stranding Response Team is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers to secure the whale.
Beachgoers are being asked to not touch the whale and maintain a safe distance from the body and any associated gear. All whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Action, which makes it illegal to touch them.
In December, a dead 30-foot humpback washed ashore on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks. Another was found dead that month on North Core Banks, inside Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Humpback whales pass through the Mid-Atlantic waters as part of their annual migration. The whales travel to the Caribbean in the winter, where they breed and give birth, then head back toward New England for the spring and summer to feed.