Latest news with #MarineMammalStrandingCenter
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Humpback whale washes ashore in Long Beach Township
LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP — A dead humpback whale washed ashore at the 130th Street beach in the Beach Haven Terrace section on Friday morning, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine. The stranding center's stranding coordinator responded to the scene about 7 a.m. and the 'heavily decomposed' remains were moved to the municipal Department of Public Works yard to be examined by staff from the center, according to a statement from the center. More NJ Shore news: Asbury Park lifeguard impaled by umbrella is expected to make full recovery The examination determined that the animal was a female, measuring 29½-feet in length. The carcass was in the advanced stages of decomposition and therefore no longer viable for further biological sampling. Based on photographs, this whale was identified as the same whale that was first observed deceased and floating approximately 3½ miles off of Harvey Cedars on Monday. As disposal of a whale carcass is the responsibility of the property owner, which is Long Beach Township, and officials opted to bury the remains at the public works yard on Long Beach Boulevard in Beach Haven Terrace. In addition to the Public Works Department, the Long Beach Township Police Department, its municipal Beach Patrol, the New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, all provided assistance at the scene. Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@ This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Humpback whale washes ashore on Long Beach Island NJ
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Dolphin stranded in remote New Jersey creek dies as rescuers try to save it
A dolphin that had been stranded in a remote New Jersey creek for a week died as rescuers tried to save it, officials said. Experts from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center and wildlife authorities monitored the Bottlenose dolphin daily while it was trapped in Riggins Ditch since the call first came into their hotline on June 5, the organization said on social media and in a news release. Local people who use the waterway have reported seeing dolphins in the area in the past, 'however this animal was alone and had not moved out of the area,' the center said in the release. The area itself is challenging because of how remote it is, with the nearest boat ramp for small boats being almost 10 miles across the bay, officials said. A photo shows the dolphin's dorsal fin protruding through the water's surface in the estuary. Rescuers and authorities had to wait for 'the weather, wind and tidal conditions to align for a safe operation for both the dolphin and the first responders,' the center said. Those conditions finally arrived the morning of June 12, and a team of rescuers from the center and several fire rescue and wildlife departments coordinated a rescue attempt, the center said. The rescue team consisted of more than two dozen people and six boats who would first try herding the dolphin out of the area to avoid capturing and physically handling it, the center said. 'In-water captures are high risk as they pose a significant danger to both the dolphin as well as the responders,' officials said. When those less-invasive tactics failed, rescuers decided to try to capture the dolphin from the water as a last resort, officials said. Rescuers cast a net across the creek from the boats and maneuvered it around the dolphin. Then they coordinated their movements to secure the six-foot long dolphin inside a stretcher and supported it upright above the water so it could still breathe as the boat brought the dolphin to shore, officials said. Then, using a tractor with a forklift attached, they lifted the dolphin inside the stretcher to a stretcher frame on a bridge. Photos show the various stages of the rescue attempt. 'As the team was preparing to load the stretcher into the Stranding Response vehicle, the adolescent male dolphin stopped breathing,' officials said. 'MMSC's veterinarian and Stranding Team immediately started emergency medical protocols, however despite their extraordinary efforts, they were unable to resuscitate the dolphin.' Rescuers took the dolphin to the New Jersey Animal Health and Diagnostic Lab for a necropsy, and plan to share updates when available. 'Out of habitat cetaceans are one of the most difficult scenarios in marine mammal rescue. As animals that live in the open ocean, the more confined habitats of back bay estuaries are foreign to them,' the center said. 'Human interactions are also a stressor for cetaceans. Both of these factors cause the animal immense physiological stress, ultimately making the chances of rescue and survival slim.' Another dolphin was stranded about 40 miles northeast in Brigantine earlier in the week, the center said. That dolphin also did not survive the ordeal. 'Both cases, despite ending tragically, brought out the best of humanity with first responders and Good Samaritans tirelessly working side by side with our team to do what they could to help these beautiful dolphins,' the center said. 'The selflessness shown by the community who came together for the love of these two dolphins was moving.' Several people thanked rescuers for trying to save the dolphins in the comments on Facebook and Instagram. One person commented under a photo of the dolphin on the stretcher that they wondered whether the rescue was necessary — or whether it might have been 'best to let nature take its course.' Rescuers explained that the young dolphin wouldn't have been able to survive on its own without a pod of dolphins, much less in freshwater. 'The fact that the animal was a lone adolescent without a pod of other dolphins that remained in the same area for one week in a brackish water environment was the cause for concern,' rescuers said. 'The animal has been transported to the lab for necropsy, and on visual inspection so far the animal is underweight and has lesions likely from exposure to freshwater.' Cumberland County is about a 90-mile drive south from Trenton.
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Adult harp seal rescued from New Jersey beach thousands of miles from natural habitat
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, welcomed a big new patient last week. A 154-pound harp seal was hauled out of Brant Beach in Long Beach Island on March 8. In a post on Facebook, the MMSC said the seal's behavior on the beach was observed for 24 hours by the Stranding Center staff and certified Stranding Volunteers local to the area. When the seal didn't move on the following morning and showed evidence of consuming sand, staff members, volunteers and the Long Beach Township Department of Public Works loaded and transported the seal to the Stranding Center. Once admitted, staff immediately began supportive care via tube feeding to rehydrate the seal, and started treatment to flush the sand out of his system with fluids and mineral oil. "Harp seals are one of our most fascinating winter visitors," MMSC said in the post. "We typically see juveniles and two-to-three year-olds, but are sometimes graced by the beautiful black and white adult Harp seals on our beaches. These seals are named for the dark harp-shaped pattern on their back that forms in their adult coat. This species is most commonly found dwelling on the ice in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, but have been known to travel as far south as Virginia in the winter." The Stranding Center says the seal is currently resting comfortably and has already started to eat fish on his own.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Injured dolphin euthanized after rescue from NJ beach
NEW JERSEY (PIX11) – An injured dolphin was rescued from Monmouth Beach in New Jersey and then euthanized Tuesday, officials said. The Monmouth Beach Police Department received a call at 8 a.m. about a dolphin stuck in a creek. Responding officers located the animal. The dolphin appeared to have an injury to its tail and was beached in the mud, police said on social media. More Local News Additional officers and residents joined in to help rescue the dolphin. Officers entered the creek and used a pump to keep the dolphin wet while they waited for further assistance. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) responded to the scene and extracted the dolphin from the mud with the help of a crew and forklift. Officials said the injured dolphin was taken to the MMSC facility for further treatment and care. However, the MMSC said the dolphin was badly injured. 'Upon examination, the underweight dolphin was found to be weak and lethargic, with lesions on multiple parts of his body. Abrasions were present on the flukes and pectoral fins. The dolphin's weakened body condition, coupled with being stuck in the mud without water to support his body weight for an unknown period, made the dolphin's prognosis for survival very poor. After veterinary assessment, the decision was made to humanely euthanize the animal to prevent further suffering.' Marine Mammal Stranding Center After the dolphin was euthanized, it was transported to the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, where a necropsy will take place. The dolphin was a male, according to officials. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
See it: Injured seal pup attacked by shark found on New Jersey beach
A photo released this week shows a seal pup that was rescued after being attacked by a shark in southern New Jersey. Officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said they received a report of a badly injured seal pup on a Longport beach on Monday. An MMSC team member was dispatched to the scene, where he found an emaciated, nearly 40-pound Grey seal pup that had a number of cuts roughly arranged in the size and shape of a dinner plate on his abdomen. The animal also had several small puncture wounds on the left side of his mouth, the team member saw. The pup was then immediately transported for treatment at the MMSC, where his wounds were cleaned. He was also given supportive care and nutritional support, which involved feeding him a mixture of formula and electrolytes through a tube. As of Wednesday, MMSC officials said oral and topical medication has been started to ward off infection. Plus, pain medication has been administered to help keep the seal pup comfortable during his recovery. A veterinarian with the MMSC determined during his medical examination that, based on the seal pup's injuries, he was likely wounded during a predation attempt by a shark. Three days after he was found, the pup appears to be making positive strides as he heals from the attack. "We are very happy to report that this pup is already showing interest in his food and is starting to eat on his own!" officials with the MMSC said, noting that he is now resting comfortably in their facility. Five sick or injured seals, including four Grey seals and one Harbor seal, are currently being cared for at MMSC. How To Watch Fox Weather Grey seals are found along the New England and mid-Atlantic coastlines, according to Noaa. They noted that adult male Grey seals can grow to be 10 feet long and weigh approximately 880 article source: See it: Injured seal pup attacked by shark found on New Jersey beach
