Massachusetts: The Same Whale Washed Up To Shore Twice
We have many questions here. A dead whale washed up to shore in Swampscott on Tuesday morning, according to Boston.com. Moreover, the same exact whale was also found washed to shore in Marblehead on Monday.
Granted these two north shore towns are only about four miles apart from each other. Nonetheless, this is still a very unique circumstance.
“Several scars were found on the whale’s body when it first washed up in Marblehead, indicating a possible entanglement at some point in its life,” Boston.com explained.
What is even more fascinating is that apparently, this whale first washed up to shore in April. It was then tagged on May 2. “Officials chose a location to dispose of the body that would best prevent the possibility of it coming back to shore,” Boston.com said, via a quote they shared from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson Andrea Gomez.
The carcass did not decompose, which is part of the main reason why the whale kept washing up across various areas along the north shore. How the whale washed back out from Marblehead on Monday in order to get enough push to make it four miles south to Swampscott remains a mystery.
What Does A Whale Washed Up To Shore Mean For Swimming and Shoreline Activity?
If the whale’s scars had traces of blood, it could draw sharks’ interest. “Dead whales are notorious for attracting hungry sharks of all species, including great white sharks,” the Miami Herald explains. This was after an intense attach on a dead whale back in March.
“Hungry sharks have descended on a 70,000-pound whale that died along Florida’s Gulf Coast, proving authorities were wise to tow it 15 miles out to sea,” the Herald said.
Now we are obviously still in early May where swimming may not be popular along the shores just yet. However this is something to keep an eye one. Obviously shark activity along Cape Cod has become increasingly popular.
“Environmental efforts to protect sharks in recent years have resulted in a huge increase in the great white shark population off the New England coast,” PBS said back in March as Conservationists began to track the surge of great white activity off the coast of the Cape and Massachusetts.
Whale activity in the area and especially Cape Cod is quite common. Whale watching out of Hyannis and Barnstable has long been a popular attraction for tourists and those visiting the area. In fact, they start their whale-watching tour experiences on Thursday, May 16.