Dead whale is breaking apart off LBI. Don’t touch the pieces

🐋A dead whale drifting along Long Beach Island has started breaking apart in the surf

🐋The heavily decomposed animal is believed to be a female fin whale

🐋Beachgoers are warned not to touch or collect any pieces that wash ashore.

BARNEGAT LIGHT — The carcass of a dead whale is beginning to break apart in the surf off Ocean County, prompting a warning for beachgoers not to touch or collect any pieces.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said the whale, believed to be a female fin whale, was first spotted floating 1.5 miles off Long Beach Island on Sunday morning. Described as "heavily decomposed and scavenged," she continued to drift north and was tracked with help from the U.S. Coast Guard and reports from beachgoers.

The whale was off Surf City, outside the breakers, by Sunday evening.

The whale continued its drift overnight and was off 11th Street in Barnegat Light on Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, it was just south of the jetty, according to the MMSC.

ALSO READ: Hello Fresh is closing one of its NJ sites with 374 layoffs

Dead whale continues drifting along Long Beach Island

Timothy Brindley of Barnegat Light told the Asbury Park Press that the whale appears to have been dead for several days.

The whale's body has started to break up in the surf, with pieces breaking off. The MMSC is asking the public not to touch the pieces or collect them, as whales are federally protected.

Anyone who finds a piece should call the MMSC's 24-hour Stranding Hotline at 609-266-0538.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom