East Moriches, N.Y.: An ailing 25-foot humpback whale that became grounded on a sandbar off New York has been euthanized. Officials with the Riverhead Foundation of Marine Research and Preservation and others say the whale died Wednesday afternoon.
The whale weighed between 15 and 20 tons. It got stuck in Long Island's Moriches (moh-RIH'-chihs) Bay over the weekend. A veterinary team assessed its condition and found the animal was thin, limp, weak and minimally responsive. They said it also had neurological abnormalities and possible infections. They euthanized it with injectable medications.
Experts plan to conduct a necropsy. They said when whales become stranded it generally indicates underlying health issues. Humpback whales are common in the region. One recently has been seen swimming in the Hudson River.
