VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response team confirmed to WAVY Monday afternoon that a second dead whale washed ashore at False Cape State Park.
Biologists will perform a necropsy on the animal. They did not specify what type of whale it is.
This is the second dead whale at the Oceanfront in as many days. A young humpback whale washed ashore at the Oceanfront early Sunday morning.
Virginia Beach police taped off the stretch of beach between 24th Street and 25th Street. The Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Response team responded to the dead whale and moved it from the shorebreak to the beach to be monitored overnight.
Members of the stranding team returned to the site Monday to perform a necropsy and determine the cause of death.
Crowds of onlookers gathered around the stranded animal with cameras in hand to take pictures. However, the public is asked to keep a safe distance from whale and any gear used to move the whale.
According to the Virginia Aquarium, all whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Action which makes touching these animals illegal.
Around this same time last year, WAVY covered the deaths of several whales in Virginia Beach.
A 20-year-old North Atlantic Right Whale washed ashore on February 12, 2023. A necropsy determined it died from blunt force trauma, consistent with a vessel strike.
The week before, the aquarium response team assisted in bringing a dead humpback whale to shore in Virginia Beach, near First Landing State Park.
You can report a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead whale sighting to NOAA by calling 1-877-WHALE-HELP (866-942-5343.) There’s also a free Whale Alert App that allows you to see where whales have been spotted and add your own sighting. Download in the App Store or get it on Google Play.
