Dead whale discovered on Lido Beach in Nassau County
LIDO BEACH, N.Y. -- Calls to halt off-shore wind activity are growing louder with the deaths of two more whales in the past two days. The latest washed ashore on Lido Beach in Nassau County.
Another giant of the deep was found dead on dry land. The enormity of the male humpback dwarfed man and created a seaside spectacle.
"It was going to be a very interesting sight, and I kept asking 'Can we go see the whale, can we go see the whale," said 9-year-old Liam Magee.
Folks flocked to Lido Beach to catch a glimpse, take pictures of the whale and snap selfies.
"We haven't had a whale wash up in about five years, and the crews that have been here for over a decade say they've never seen a whale of this size," said Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin.
The whale is about 30 feet long, according to early estimates.
The up-close encounter is sparking questions.
"I'm astonished. It's enormous. It's so sad to see this kind of thing happen. I'm wondering how this happened," said Long Beach resident Sarah Art.
Many want to know exactly that, but there were no answers Monday. The process just started with an external examination and measurements of the mammal.
This is the eighth dead whale to wash ashore along the New York and New Jersey coasts since December. Another was spotted floating off the coast Sunday.
"How many whale deaths are going to be enough to trigger some sort of additional assessment?" said Cindy Zipf of Clean Ocean Action.
Zipf worries activity related to offshore wind energy farms, such as surveying, could be a factor.
On Jan. 9, Clean Ocean Action sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding in part an "immediate investigation" into the whale deaths and a "halt to all current lessees' offshore wind energy development activity."
Zipf says there's been no word back, but the push continues.
"What we're doing now is really investigating and looking into what is being done with whales washing up," Zipf said.
Ziph is asking if the necropsies are comprehensive enough.
"Are they going to give us the answers that we need?" Zipf said.
A NOAA spokesperson tells CBS2 that in 2016, with strandings up along the east coast, the administration declared an "Unusual Mortality Event," or UME. That was prior to any offshore wind activity.
NOAA added, "To date, no humpback whale mortality has been attributed to offshore wind activities."
So why did this gentle giant die? A necropsy scheduled for Tuesday morning will hopefully shed light on what led to his demise.
We reached out to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her take on the recent whale deaths.
In a statement, the governor said, "There is no scientific evidence suggesting a link between offshore wind and recent whale mortalities, and New York will continue our efforts to transition to clean energy and build a green economy."
