The Humane Society of the U.S. and their Wildlife Land Trust are now offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the person who shot a short-finned pilot whale recently. more ›

In late September a 700-lb, short-finned pilot whale was discovered dead in Allenhurst, New Jersey (as the AP notes, they are part of the dolphin family). According to NJ.com, a necropsy determined that the whale had been shot. With a bullet. In the jaw. The injury made it unable for him to eat, and eventually he was found dead from starvation, and with a "massive infection." more ›

Juno, the freaking adorable beluga who enjoyed the sweet sounds of a mariachi band at the Mystic Aquarium, had apparently been practicing for just this moment. more ›

Earlier this afternoon, both NYC Harbor Patrol and Hoboken Police flocked to what looked like a whale in the Hudson River (we also had a reader alert us that it looked like a dead orca whale was in the water, from her view at the IAC building on West 18th Street). Now Hoboken 411 (who has photos) reports that what looked "similar to a whale or capsized boat" was really just a piece of a tug boat that had fallen off a vessel. So, phew, no dead whale sightings today! more ›

A humpback whale washed ashore in Jones Beach this morning, according to Fox5, who had their news chopper overhead the site around 10:30 a.m. They report that animal rescue crews (including the Riverhead Foundation) were surrounding the 25-foot whale at the time, but it was already dead when it washed ashore. more ›

A reader sent us this photo of the baby humpback whale that was beached on Long Island recently. This was taken earlier this week, and its current state is pretty gruesome. The whale was euthanized after experts found it had no chance of survival. Our tipster notes: "It doesn't look quite like the necropsy the Riverhead foundation was supposed to carry out." But then again, who knows what a whale necropsy looks like? We've contacted the Riverhead Foundation to see what exactly is going on here, but we're sure they're treating the situation professionally, and not, say, feasting on whale burgers. Full image after the jump. more ›

The baby humpback whale that's been suffering on the shore of an East Hampton beach since Tuesday morning has officially died. According to Newsday, this morning after the latest round of euthanization he was finally put out of his misery. They report, "the whale's death came after a scientist armed with a hunting rifle shot the stranded humpback, after an earlier attempt to euthanize the animal resulted in a 2-foot-long tranquilizer dart's being lost in the surf." Say what? Yep, there's currently a team of divers scheduled to locate the lost dart sometime tomorrow... because they aren't sure if it's still fully loaded! Watch out, other whales. more ›

The coverage over at Newsday (subscription only) makes the beached whale euthanization sound like a murder mystery! They report, "Three shots rang out on the East Hampton beach Friday where a humpback whale juvenile has been stranded since Tuesday, but it was not clear if the whale had been shot or what it may have been shot with." more ›

The baby hump back whale currently beached and dying in East Hampton is still alive after being discovered there on Tuesday morning. Newsday (subscription only) reports that one attempt was made to sedate and euthanize the whale already, and another is being made this afternoon—even though the Riverhead Foundation's Chuck Bowman had previously expressed concerns over the process being a dangerous one. A new type of sedative will be used today. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] The baby hump back whale that has been beached in East Hampton since yesterday morning is still there, and Chuck Bowman of the Riverhead Foundation tells the NY Post that his crew will stay with it until it dies, at which time they'll conduct a necropsy (the local police chief told WPIX that it did not appear physically injured). more ›

Real life Fail Whales are sad :( Newsday (subscription only) reports that a juvenile humpback whale has been beached in East Hampton since early this morning, and "appears weak, underweight, and probably can't be saved." Officials have said, "There's not much we can do. The whale looks thin to us, and we think it will die." The whale weighs more than a ton, which made it dangerous for rescuers to move it back into the water, where they believe it would just drown anyway. ABC Local News reports from the scene, saying the 25-footer is probably less than a year old and was likely separated from his mother; whales nurse for the first two years of their lives and can't survive on their own during that time. more ›

Sharks, monsters, and now whales are washing up on shore. This morning in New Jersey (Monmouth Beach, to be exact), a 20 to 30-foot long humpback whale was discovered. WCBS reports that "...the stomach was distended. The smell was not terrific, as you could well imagine." Allegedly the heat had destroyed the whale's insides, so scientists were unable to take samples from it. However, because of bruising they believe it may have suffered injuries after being hit by a boat. Later today it will be cut into pieces for burial somewhere on the beach, until then beachgoers are advised to stay at least 100 yards away. More depressing images here. more ›

Okay, so maybe it was really a vacuuming that the American Museum of Natural History Museum's Blue Whale received. But now you know that's how the 90-foot fiberglass model, which hangs in the Hall of Ocean Life, is cleaned: An industrial sized vacuum, a scaffold, and the attention of Rodolfo Valencia. Valencia gave the whale its last cleaning two years ago—a lot of dust has piled up since then! The AMNH told the Post, "It's his baby. He's very gentle with it. He's got this all mapped out. He probably knows every inch of that whale." more ›

We're getting word that, as of around 5:15 p.m., there was a whale spotted off the coast of Coney Island (near Nortons Point) headed westbound towards the Verrazano Bridge. Last week a humpback whale (perhaps the same whale?) took a similar journey before escaping New York unharmed. We'll update when we find out more about this latest sighting. more ›

The whale that was spotted in the New York Harbor yesterday has presumably escaped New York safely. more ›

The NYPD Harbor Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard have reported that a whale has been spotted just north of the Verrazano Bridge! Last year scientists said they had discovered an impressive amount of whales "only a couple of miles from the Statue of Liberty," but they commented on the non-ideal location, saying "It would be like trying to make a home in the middle of the Long Island Expressway." Earlier this year a juvenile humpback whale was caught in lobster netting off New Jersey, and was set free unharmed. Hopefully this whale will also go unscathed. more ›

The U.S. Coast Guard says that a 500-yard safety zone is being enforced around a humpback whale, which is "entangled in a lobster pot [and netting] and netting eight miles east of Sandy Hook near the approach to Ambrose Channel." The whale, which Newsday says is "a juvenile humpback, about 25 to 30 feet long," was seen on the surface and breathing. more ›