Whale washes ashore in Southampton
A whale was reported washed up in the surf in Southampton on Saturday. Credit: John Roca
Southampton Village police received a report of a whale ashore at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, a police spokesperson said. Authorities said the whale was dead.
An individual walking on the beach noticed the mammal and alerted authorities, according to village police. The whale appeared dark in color and washed up near Meadow Lane.
On Saturday afternoon, village police and the highway department said concrete steps to address the situation had not been established.
"We can't do anything right at this moment because of the storm conditions," said Corey Swezey, supervisor of the highway department for the Village of Southampton.
Rain, wind, and the whale's positioning meant that waves were still coming up past the site on Saturday, Swezey said.
Swezey said he expected the appropriate authorities to conduct a necropsy on Sunday to determine the whale's cause of death before the highway department could make arrangements to move the animal.
"We're probably more or less going to bury it on the beach," Swezey said. "In the past, we bury them closer to the dune."
The burial process typically involves the use of an excavator and varies based on the size of the whale, Swezey said.
In the meantime, Swezey said locals were visiting the beach despite inclement weather.
"It's already a show down there," he said. "The local word got out, so people are sightseeing all over the place right now."
The area will be roped off as soon as possible, he said.
Arielle Dollinger joined Newsday as a staff reporter in 2022. Previously, she covered local and national news as a freelancer for The New York Times, Newsday and other outlets.
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