Dead humpback whale found beached on Oregon Coast
The 34-foot-long male whale washed ashore about a mile north of the north Nehalem Jetty in Nehalem Bay State Park on Monday morning.
A dead humpback whale was recently found at an Oregon beach, according to officials.
Oregon State Parks posted a picture of the deceased mammal on Facebook Monday. The beached whale was found at Nehalem Bay State Park in Tillamook County earlier that morning, and officials placed a sign that said "Do not disturb!".
Officials described the whale as a "young male" and said that his body measures around 34 feet long. An adult humpback whale is usually 50 to 60 feet long.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) are working to determine why the whale died. The ORPD said that there was no "obvious cause of death."
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Oregon State Parks posted a picture of the deceased mammal on Facebook. (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)
"[There was] nothing to suggest any connection with the tar washing ashore on the Oregon Coast," the statement read.
Oregon State Parks told Fox News Digital that the whale washed ashore close to a "snowy plover management area."
"Oregon’s beaches are protected nesting grounds for a small shorebird called the western snowy plover," the statement added. This means there is no access to the beach from the dry sand area where signs are posted and pets are not allowed."
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The dead whale was identified as a young male. (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)
Officials will often use explosives to dispose of a beached whale, since the mammals take a long time to decompose. According to the University of Miami's Shark Research and Conservation Program, whales can take over 50 years to decompose underwater. That process is sped up on land.
Occasionally, a whale can explode on its own if its body builds up enough gas while it is decomposing. In the Facebook post's comments section, some locals expressed concern over whether the whale would be "blown up."
"Don't blow one up again!" one Facebook user wrote.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) are working to determine why the whale died. (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)
"Let's hope they don't blow this poor whale up!" another chimed in.
In 1970, Oregon officials infamously blew up a whale that was washed ashore in Florence, Oregon. Parts of the whale's carcass ended up falling on onlookers and their cars.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said there was no "obvious cause of death." (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)
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Fox News Digital reached out to Oregon State Parks for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
