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VIDEO AND POLL

Park officials cordon off dead whale at beach

By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff
Posted Aug. 21, 2011, at 8:02 p.m.
Last modified Aug. 22, 2011, at 8:06 p.m.
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Poll Question

Helen Burgess, 14, of Morristown, N.J., gets a close look Monday at a dead minke whale while visiting Sand Beach in Acadia National Park with her family. "It's bad that it's dead, but it's kind of interesting to see up close," Helen's mother, Barbara Burgess, said of the whale, which washed up on the beach on Sunday.
Bill Trotter | BDN
Helen Burgess, 14, of Morristown, N.J., gets a close look Monday at a dead minke whale while visiting Sand Beach in Acadia National Park with her family. "It's bad that it's dead, but it's kind of interesting to see up close," Helen's mother, Barbara Burgess, said of the whale, which washed up on the beach on Sunday.
Beachgoers enjoy Sand Beach at Acadia National Park on Monday despite the presence of a dead adult minke whale that has been cordoned off by park officials. The whale, which was spotted earlier in the week floating about 30 miles away off Jonesport, washed up on the beach on Sunday. Park officials said whale scientists are making plans to remove and then dissect the whale to see if they can determine why it died.
Bill Trotter | BDN
Beachgoers enjoy Sand Beach at Acadia National Park on Monday despite the presence of a dead adult minke whale that has been cordoned off by park officials. The whale, which was spotted earlier in the week floating about 30 miles away off Jonesport, washed up on the beach on Sunday. Park officials said whale scientists are making plans to remove and then dissect the whale to see if they can determine why it died.
Beachgoers enjoy Sand Beach at Acadia National Park on Monday despite the presence of a dead adult minke whale that has been cordoned off by park officials. The whale, which was spotted earlier in the week floating about 30 miles away off Jonesport, washed up on the beach Sunday. Park officials said whale scientists are making plans to remove and then dissect the whale to see if they can determine why it died.
Bill Trotter | BDN
Beachgoers enjoy Sand Beach at Acadia National Park on Monday despite the presence of a dead adult minke whale that has been cordoned off by park officials. The whale, which was spotted earlier in the week floating about 30 miles away off Jonesport, washed up on the beach Sunday. Park officials said whale scientists are making plans to remove and then dissect the whale to see if they can determine why it died.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — A dead minke whale has washed up on a popular beach in the park, and the area has been cordoned off while officials make plans to have it removed, according to a park ranger.

The whale, an adult male, was reported washed up at Sand Beach around 11 a.m. Sunday, according to Ranger Richard Rechholtz. He said the whale has been dead for some time and had been reported floating off Jonesport in Washington County earlier in the week.

Rechholtz said Allied Whale, which responds to marine mammal strandings, is making plans to retrieve the dead whale and possibly conduct a necropsy on it to determine how it died. Sand Beach, a popular park attraction near The Beehive mountain and Thunder Hole, is open but the part of the beach around the whale has been cordoned off, he said.

Messages left Monday morning for officials at Allied Whale and Maine Department of Marine Resources were not returned.

The whale carcass was attracting its share of attention Monday from tourists visiting the beach, but many paid it no mind and simply enjoyed the sunny setting. Despite the occasional smell of rotting flesh that wafted beyond the yellow tape surrounding the whale, people were playing soccer, sunbathing and swimming in the surf.

Barbara Burgess of Morristown, N.J., said the presence of the whale did not bother her.

“It’s bad that it’s dead, but it’s kind of interesting to see up close,” Burgess said.

John Crawford of Bancroft, Ontario, wandered over to the whale carcass to get a close look and to get a few snapshots. He said he hadn’t known the dead whale was there earlier in the day when he was trying to get his family interested in visiting Sand Beach.

“I said, ‘We’ll see all sorts of stuff,’” Crawford said. “It’s educational for my kids.”

Unlike several larger whale species, minke whales are not listed as endangered or threatened, though they are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are an estimated 185,000 minke whales in the North Atlantic Ocean, according to information posted on the NOAA Fisheries website.

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  • Anonymous

    Wow, did they get it back out to sea?  Poor whale!

  • Anonymous

    that’s the WHOLE STORY?? What happened after-the whale is obviously dead-was anyone notified to get it out of the water?? another WINNER story,BDN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jwstorm John White

    My thoughts exactly …

  • http://www.facebook.com/jwstorm John White

    My thoughts exactly …

  • Anonymous

    I hope this whale got back out to sea. We went out in the Gulf on the sea cruise in June and saw them in their habitat. (not beached thankfully). It was wonderful. It is a sight like no other.

  • http://www.facebook.com/laplants Seth Laplant

    That looks a lot like a bloated dead whale that floated into the beach and not a beached living whale.

  • Anonymous

    wow. what a great article. Did the whale die? what kind of reporting is this? what a joke

  • Anonymous

    Be patient, more details will probably be forthcoming. Good grief!

  • Anonymous

    It’s a Dead “Stinker”.
    Tow it out to sea and sink it, lobster and crab bait.
    Even sharks won’t bother with it.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VK5JI6ITC6DFLH7NS6H55PUNMM Hey

    I was there… it was definitely dead. Very sad.

  • Anonymous

    Dead.  Clearly.

  • Anonymous

    Before I saw your post I yelled out “that’s the whole story?!” For goodness sake, I’ve met park visitors who thought they were seeing a whale when it was just that big rock thing out there….

    Is this a credible story? Was there an actual whale? What happened to it?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Regina-Hosebeast/100002095287763 Regina Hosebeast

    Um, that wasn’t a beached whale; that was my boyfriend. The story was abruptly ended when he got up and waddled back up the beach to me. I’ve been telling him to cut down on the pizza, beer and potato chips to no avail. *sigh*

  • Anonymous

    That was such a nice vid to watch with my coffee…. Goobers

  • Anonymous

    Pffft…that’s not a beached whale…that’s a dead whale.

  • Anonymous

    Ex whale.

  • http://www.tohic.com Matthew

    ‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This whale is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e 
         rests in peace!  ’Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig! ‘E’s kicked the 
         bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-WHALE!!

  • http://www.tohic.com Matthew

    Allied Whale is always notified whenever there is a dead/distressed whale/seal/porpoise,  The animal is usually dragged/transported to a private location where a necropsy/inspection can be done.     You may be able to get more info by calling COA or Allied Whale,  or checking one of the two MDI papers later this week.

  • Anonymous

    did you watch the video?  There was clearly a dead whale on the beach.  How can you be asking if there was an actual whale?  How about you don’t comment on a video if you haven’t watched it?

  • Anonymous

    Because there was no option to watch a video when I saw this last night…just a little blurb of words. Thanks for your kindness, so early on a Monday morning.

  • Anonymous

     Well, we’d better replace it, then. . . .
    Sorry squire, I’ve had a look ’round
    the back of the fiord, and uh,

         we’re right out of whales.

    LOL !

  • Anonymous

    What did you expect a video of a beached whale to be?  Rosie O’Donnel?
    That would have ruined your breakfast even faster…

  • Anonymous

    i happend to be there when the whale washed up and shore…and i’ll tell you i’ve smelled some pretty horrible things in my life….but that thing took the stink-cake

  • justamainer

    Evidently alot of people commenting missed the word “DEAD” in the headline..   Quick everyone, throw your two cents in.. no need to actually READ the headline and article!!

  • Anonymous

    The writers for the BDN leave alot to be desired, how can this be a story, but Roxanne Quimby strong arming 6 local snowmobile groups not be note worthy?? OH thats right – the Bangor Daily news isn’t news – its an entire “news”paper devoted to the left wing fringe opinions…. Thats journalism today in america..  Soon, northern and cenral maine, will all look back to the LACK OF INSIGHT the Bangor Daily news used to keep us all tame, i mean, informed. Such a joke. A 7th grader on a school bus could write the same articles we see in our print media. Does the BDN even interview anyone for articles, do they even do any investigative reporting? (i know someone at BDN is googling “investigative reporting” right now) Your paper is such a joke, you dont even hide the fact that you wont report a story that could inform people about things going on in their community, if it goes against your agenda. So instead, you fill your paper with useless articles like this. If this were a 7th grade report on a field trip, i give it an C-

  • Anonymous

    Bring on the ex wife jokes in 3…2…1…

  • Anonymous

    This is America and you are free to start up a newspaper that would be to your liking.

  • Anonymous

    This is America and you are free to start up a newspaper that would be to your liking.

  • Anonymous

    This is America and you are free to start up a newspaper that would be to your liking.

  • Anonymous

    This is America and you are free to start up a newspaper that would be to your liking.

  • Anonymous

    How to get a dead whale off the beach? Easy. Set a very large explosive charge beneath it. Large enough to vaporize the whale. Then all that gook goes back in to the ecosystem.

  • Anonymous

    Welcome in Maine’s new fireworks law by blowing it up (like they did in the 70′s out in Oregon)!!!——–  The little fella would only need 350 lbs tnt   ; )  ——-    (Sorry Richard, no C-4 for You!)

     

  • Anonymous

    good lobster bait…

  • Anonymous

    story said: Allied Whale, which responds to marine mammal strandings, is making plans to retrieve the dead whale

  • Anonymous

    ‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This whale is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! ‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig! ‘E’s kicked the bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-WHALE!!     
    ********************************
    ‘E’s bit the dust, ‘E’s bought the farm, ‘E’s canned dog food now, ‘E’s just good for oil now, ‘E’s not coming down for breakfast…..

    anyone else have more good euphemisms?

  • http://twitter.com/Quakapoet85 Jennifer Staples

    Ah, someone else who has a liking to Monty Python skits and movies. :)

    http://youtu.be/4vuW6tQ0218

  • http://twitter.com/Quakapoet85 Jennifer Staples

    Ah, someone else who has a liking to Monty Python skits and movies. :)

    http://youtu.be/4vuW6tQ0218

  • Anonymous

    Whales have been getting far too much attention these past few years.

  • Anonymous

    A necropsy….really….wow. So somehow the tax payers (that’s those of us that actually work and pay taxes) will pay for a necropsy on a whale….so they can ultimately blame some fisherman and the non working whiners can whine and the environmentalists will get more restrictions imposed on these guys that are trying to make  a living…

  • Anonymous

    A little too late for rehab ??
    Like the skinny seal.
    Or the short legged deer.
    And the one legged seagull.
    Thankfully they were  reached in time.

    More patrols are needed.
    And civilian alert/action teams.
    And a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts.
    This must be prevented.

    How tragic.
    Oh , the humanity.

  • Anonymous

    I was just going to post that somehow the fishermen will be blamed for this.   Hmmm, more whale rope restictions, less end  lines in the water, no fishing past the 3 mile line….It is hard to make a living fishing when the whale rope costs more a pound than what you get paid per pound for the lobsters you catch.

  • Anonymous

    That beach must smell worse than a Saturday night at Barnaby’s

  • Anonymous

    …but not nearly as bad as an afternoon at Jenkins Beach….

  • Anonymous

    Fresh sushi for all of MDI tonight:)

  • Anonymous

    Looks like a health hazzard to me…. people should not be swimming there with all the bacteria laden water draining out of it.

  • Anonymous

    Often called the rats of the sea, these whales will die at sea like all sea creatures and doing necropsy does not make sense. It washed up and should be hauled back out to sea. Why cut it up to study it?

  • Anonymous

    Because the opportunity to do so doesn’t always happen, and this can be an important teaching point for budding cetacean researchers.

  • Anonymous

    A necropsy isn’t necessarily done by a government agent, I would hope that COA is likely to be given the chance to go at it first.  I know that some Professors that actually have the summer off, and volunteer for this stuff. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_P7DKRJ3FZJ6WVSZO6FUS6SSANM Lawless

    I blame bath salts.

  • Anonymous

    Necropsy is not necessarily a teaching tool. Where in the article did it say anything about sharing the slides of organs or tissue with a marine biology class? Let me see, NOWHERE. That carcass should have been off the beach ASAP.

  • http://twitter.com/joncob Jon Coburn
  • Anonymous

    I saw the humpback whales in Maui and your right how amazing they are. They actual would come close to the small and large boats and take a look at the people in the boats. They travel in families and take care of each other.

  • Anonymous

    clean burning lamp oil !!!

  • Anonymous

    Nah they’ll blame the military traveling 40+knots actually not that hard to hit a whale but how the hell is gonna tell a ship that can take out a state in a day that they can’t do that lol

  • Anonymous

    That’s great. They are absolutely magnificent and so intelligent. We did not get to see humpbacks but the whales we did see made it such a wonderful day way out in the Gulf of Maine.  I would love to see them again.

  • Anonymous

    That is your opinion.  Many people value them.

  • Anonymous

    That is your opinion.  Many people value them.

  • Anonymous

    That is your opinion.  Many people value them.

  • Anonymous

    love it

  • Anonymous

    love it

  • Anonymous

    love it

  • Anonymous

    I bet it was stinky

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KVNT3PXNUUVWJXO2ECUIJ6TAKQ Angie

    I am wondering if there will be a follow up. I am sure there are others equally as curious as I am to know the cause of death, if they are able to determine it.

  • Anonymous

    Online stories get changed and updated.  I think it is the BDN’s staffs way of having fun with the people who post before the stories gets edited and undated. :-)

  • Anonymous

    Wow how many Red Bulls did you have?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1087590347 Margie Gerrish

    Wasn’t this whale recorded in distress first?  Did anyone try to help it while it was still alive?  So sad.

  • Anonymous

    It doesn’t but I do know that there is a professor at COA that gets called when marine mammals wash up in that region, giving her the option in many cases to deal with it or pass it on.  So it becomes an opportunity. 

  • Anonymous

    no,  it was dead when it washed ashore. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RX23W5V7A2J6BYTBB3MZJE5ZKA Jeff D

    R.I.P. Minke Whale.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RX23W5V7A2J6BYTBB3MZJE5ZKA Jeff D

    R.I.P. Minke Whale.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RX23W5V7A2J6BYTBB3MZJE5ZKA Jeff D

    R.I.P. Minke Whale.

  • Anonymous

    That water is way to cold to breed any bacteria :)

  • Anonymous

    That water is way to cold to breed any bacteria :)

  • Anonymous

    like none have ever been cut up. Japan will let you particapate anytime.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YY4RWDGTWHJ62GNFFQD722T54A Lisa

    only us mainers would still stay at a beach where there is a dead whale laying there.  I would of left. 

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