A Humpback Whale Found Dead in Sea Isle City Due to Human Interaction

A Humpback whale washed ashore in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, on Friday. The whale had, apparently, died at sea, but the cause of its death was likely due to human interaction.

Officials completed a necropsy on Saturday that proved that the 33 foot whale had become entangled in a commercial fishing line at one point. It had scarring all across it’s body caused by the line, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, reports ABC 6.

The MMSC determined that though there was a little food in the whale’s stomach, it’s likely that it wasn’t able to eat enough. This lack of food is likely what lead to its death as the whale was very emaciated when it washed ashore.

There were also injuries that indicated that the whale had been hit by a ship, though the MMSC believes that it happened after the whale had died.

After the necropsy, the whale was buried.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Womanista.com.