The body of a 20-foot-long humpback whale was discovered at the Assateague Island National Seashore on Monday, according to a National Park Service release.
The whale washed up in the Over Sand Vehicle area, the section of the park where visitors can drive their cars on the beach. The area is now closed at the 21.8 KM mark while park staff handle the whale, according to the release.
The whale’s cause of death was not immediately known. Maryland Department of National Resources’ Stranding Response Program staff planned to conduct a necropsy on Tuesday.
After the necropsy, NPS said Assateague Island’s staff will move the whale into the dunes where it will dry out before it is buried.
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Visitors are asked to keep a distance from the whale and keep dogs leashed. They should also know that the carcass is likely to smell for a while, the release said.
Several species of whales feed in the plankton-filled Atlantic Ocean offshore of Assateague Island. Humpback whales live along the coasts of oceans, migrate between feeding grounds and sometimes swim close to shore.
