Dead whale buried on beach | News

SWAMPSCOTT — Fifty miles wasn’t enough to solve the espresso whale problem. But 10 feet seems to do the trick.

The carcass of the humpback whale, which washed up twice in Marblehead and Swampscott in three weeks, was buried 10 feet deep in the sand at Preston Beach. The city of Swampscott used an excavator to dig the hole and bury the carcass Saturday afternoon.

The burial brought to an end a saga in which the dead whale was washed ashore on the Marblehead side of Preston Beach on April 25, dragged 50 miles out to sea and washed back to the Swampscott side of the beach on May 14.

Swampscott City Manager Sean Fitzgerald said the city, which is legally responsible for disposing of the carcass, did not want to drag it back into the ocean only to have it resurface.

“We didn’t want to take the risk of Espresso being all over the news on the North Shore over the next few weeks,” he said. “It was in everyone’s best interest to put it in 10 feet of sand and help get it done.”

The whale, a young adult female weighing 65,000 pounds, had been badly decomposed since it first washed up in Marblehead. The cause of death was never determined.

The burial required a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. It was important to remove the carcass for public health reasons, including because of the smell, which would surely have gotten stronger once the temperature reached the 80s, Fitzgerald said.

Burying the carcass was cheaper than dragging it back to sea. He said the funeral cost about $10,000, as opposed to the $27,000 Marblehead paid for towing.

Swampscott, Marblehead and the Preston Beach Association could work together to create a monument to Espresso, the name it was given when it was pursued for years by environmental regulators.

“Swampscott and Marblehead share this unique coastline,” Fitzgerald said. “I hope we can create a fitting memorial, perhaps a small sculpture, that will stand the test of time and reflect that one of our most majestic sea creatures rests on this fantastic beach.”

He thanked EPA officials, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Congressman Seth Moulton’s office and Marblehead City Manager Thatcher Kezer for their assistance, as well as Swampscott Assistant City Manager Gino Cresta.

“We heard a collective sigh of relief from many people that we have helped Espresso find her final resting place,” said Fitzgerald.

Reach staff writer Paul Leighton at 988-338-2535, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.