Do not touch: Dead whale washed up on Block Island

NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. (WPRI) — A dead humpback whale washed up on the shores of Block Island.

Sarah Callan, director of the animal rescue program at Mystic Aquarium, told 12 News that a team from the aquarium traveled to Block Island on Monday and took measurements and simple tissue samples from the animal.

The whale is female and over 15 meters long. Due to its size, the aquarium assumes that it is an adult animal.

According to Callan, the whale was severely internally decomposed and may have been dead for several days.

There were no signs of entanglement or other obvious causes of death, but the aquarium is sending tissue samples to pathologists to determine if disease played a role.

Mystic Aquarium is working with the Center for Coastal Studies to see if they can identify the whale.

Every summer, many whales come to New England waters to feed, Callan said. Since 2016, only 11 dead humpback whales have been found in Rhode Island waters.

It’s important to stay away from dead whales, Callan told 12 News, because the animals could potentially transmit zoonotic diseases or other pathogens. It’s also illegal to touch whales, whether they’re alive or dead, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The aquarium hopes that the tide will wash the animal’s body back to sea. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said it will assist the aquarium in future recovery efforts.