Stranded humpback whale washes ashore on New York coast

A 35-foot humpback whale washed ashore and died at 6:30 a.m. on Monday at Lido Beach West Town Park on Long Island, New York, according to Nassau County Police.

The crew used a crane to pull the whale from the water so it would not be washed back out to sea, and the officials added that it was still alive when found but died a short time later.

The necropsy is expected to be performed by federal authorities Tuesday to determine the cause of the animal’s death, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said.

Clavin added that the town put up a fence around the whale, and once the marine biologists finish the necropsy, the whale will be buried somewhere on the beach.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is responsible for the nation’s oceans and fisheries, said 19 humpback whales were stranded last year along the U.S. Atlantic coast.

While beached whales are common enough, the Jersey Shore has seen seven in about a month, while Hempstead town hasn’t seen one in several years, Clavin told News12.