Dead humpback whale washes up on Nantucket beach, Massachusetts

© Nantucket Natural Resources Department

A 25-foot humpback whale was found dead on a Nantucket beach.

A 25-foot humpback whale was found dead on a Nantucket beach early Tuesday morning.

The whale was found on Miacomet Beach, said Maggie Mooney-Seus, spokeswoman for the Greater Atlantic Regional office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It had has no visible wounds, Mooney-Seus said. She speculated it could have died from disease or been hit by a boat.

Mooney-Seus said with a nor'easter expected to hit the region Wednesday, the whale might have to stay put for a while.

"They're not anticipating being able to get in and move it at this point" because of the approaching storm, she said. It could also be a while until the carcass is removed because NOAA does not have staff who cover Nantucket and because marine officials' focus is currently on the hundreds of sea turtles that have been washing up along the Cape with hypothermia.

"Right now, I guess we're just monitoring the situation," Mooney-Seus said.

Mooney-Seus said she did not know if a necropsy would be performed to determine the cause of death.

Mooney-Seus said people should stay away from the whale and keep their pets away, too.

The whale was found around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, Environmental Police spokeswoman Amy Mahler said in an e-mail.