Minke whale stranded in Shinnecock Bay has died, officials say

The Minke whale that was moved to deeper water after it became stranded in Shinnecock Bay was found dead Wednesday morning, officials said.

Local fisherman found the body of the juvenile whale washed up on the marsh at Shinnecock County Park about 8 a.m., according to Rachel Bosworth, a spokeswoman for the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.

On Tuesday, AMCS biologists, with help from Southampton Town police and bay constables, members of the Coast Guard and other organizations, moved the whale into deeper water by supporting it on a stretcher, Bosworth said.

The whale showed “no external signs of trauma” and was able to swim freely, according to AMCS chief scientist Robert DiGiovanni. It was last seen Tuesday swimming toward Shinnecock Inlet, DiGiovanni said.

It was unclear how the whale became stranded on the beach, he said.

AMCS officials are expected to perform a necropsy on the whale Thursday to determine a cause of death, according to Bosworth.