A 33 foot long juvenile humpback whale washed up on the beach this week on the southern end of Hatteras Island. A necropsy is being performed by the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in conjunction with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to determine the cause of death. The dead whale showed no signs of trauma but the tests should provide some idea of what caused the death. Afterward, the whale will be buried on the beach.
The humpback whales are in the process of migrating south at this time of year from New England to the south Atlantic and it is not unusual to have one or two dead whales wash ashore every year somewhere on the Outer Banks. During the migration, you can watch the whales feeding offshore from the beach. All you need are binoculars and a lot of patience while you hunt for them.
One clue to locating the whales while they are feeding is the old whaling saying, "there she blows". If you are whale watching, look for the white plume of spray that they make when they come up for air. Once you find a whale blowing, use the binoculars to watch them do their thing.
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