LAVALLETTE, N.J. — A small minke whale was found dead early Friday morning near Trenton Avenue in Lavallette, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC).
The whale, measuring between 10 and 12 feet, was reported to the MMSC around 6:30 a.m. The organization confirmed that this whale is different from the one sighted in the Lower Bay/Raritan Bay area on Thursday.
Locals watched as the whale was taken by front end loader through the community.
With assistance from Lavallette officials, the whale’s carcass was transported to the borough’s public works yard, where it has been secured for a necropsy. The MMSC is currently assembling a team to conduct the necropsy to determine the cause of death.
Yesterday, a dead minke whale was found off the shoreline in Raritan Bay.
Opponents of offshore wind energy are linking these deaths to the restarting of surveying and testing off the coast of the Manasquan inlet.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the research vessel Time and Tide has been conducting survey operations in a corridor off Manasquan Inlet since September 29. That testing will continue through November 16.
The work will take place during daylight hours, according to a notice issued by the vessel’s operators.
The survey area spans between the coordinates 40° 07.033′ N / 74° 01.705′ W and 40° 04.996′ N / 73° 58.292′ W. The Time and Tide will monitor VHF Channel 16 for communication and can also be reached via phone at +1 339-499-8784 or +1 508-736-5019.
According to Bluepoint Wind, Time and Tide is one of eight research vessels tied to Governor Phil Murphy’s offshore wind farm projects. Time and Tide was in operation in the area during the 2023-2024 mass whale beachings and deaths.
So far, government officials deny any link between the survey work and the correlation to whale deaths.
A document detailing the 2024 survey operation has since been removed from the Bluepoint Wind website.
That document shows the company was performing work in the lower Raritan Bay. A copy of the now-removed document is still available at regulations.gov.
Vessels and fishing activities in the area are requested to maintain a minimum distance of 0.5 nautical miles from the research vessel.