Humpback Whale Washes Up On North Carolina Island
Visitors to Masonboro Island will get to see a rare sight in the upcoming days. A young humpback whale recently washed ashore on the North Carolina island. Masonboro is just off the coast of Wilmington. The barrier island is undeveloped and uninhabited and located between Wrightsville Beach and Pleasure Island.
Officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network estimate that the whale has most likely been deceased for several weeks. As the animal decomposes it is expected to attract sharks, birds, and other marine life to the area. The carcus will be the source of food for a variety of animals. A strong smell will greet visitors to Masonboro Island. And if for some reason you wanted to, don’t try to move or take the animal. That’s against federal law.
At high tide, the humpback whale is right on the North Carolina water’s edge, and around 20 yards at low tide. Bite marks can be seen on the animal presumably linking sharks to its cause of death. Back in 1928 another whale washed up in the area, it’s skeleton now hangs in Raleigh at the NC Museum of Natural History.
Source Star News Online and WECT
6 Facts About Humpback Whales
Source: Live Science
