3rd Minke Whale This Season Found Dead in Cape Cod Waters

BARNSTABLE – A minke whale died in Barnstable Harbor this past weekend, the third such whale found in area waters this season.

The 18-foot whale that was hauled ashore Saturday in Barnstable was first spotted alive Friday morning in Wellfleet Harbor.

Brian Sharp, a marine mammal research and rescue manager for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said rescuers escorted the whale out to sea.

It was found dead Saturday east of Barnstable Harbor.

A necropsy will be performed on the 3,500-pound whale.

Minke whale deaths are under scrutiny by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has declared an unusual mortality event along the East Coast.

Since the event was declared in early 2017, 42 minke strandings have occurred from Maine to South Carolina.