NEW JERSEY – A concerning trend in humpback whale deaths has been identified in New Jersey, with 10 out of the 28 recorded deaths since 2016 occurring within the past nine months. This constitutes a staggering 35.7% of the total deaths in this period.
According to NOAA Fisheries, elevated humpback whale mortalities have been observed along the Atlantic coast from Maine through Florida since January 2016. The situation was declared an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) in April 2017 and included stranded humpback whales from that year.
While some of the whales have shown evidence of pre-mortem vessel strikes, this finding is inconsistent across all examined cases, and more research is needed to determine the underlying causes.
The increase in deaths, especially in such a short period, has prompted NOAA to assemble an independent team of scientists. This team will coordinate with the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events to review data, sample stranded whales, and establish the next steps in the ongoing investigation.
Some are blaming the sharp increase in whale deaths at the Jersey Shore on sonar mapping being conducted off the coast of the Jersey Shore by companies seeking to build offshore wind turbine farms. Although many of the whales reported in the past nine months have appeared to have been struck by vessels, opponents of the wind farms say the whales’ biological sonar systems are being interfered with by the offshore mapping.
Orsted has maintained the vessel Northstar Voyager, which has operated off the Jersey Shore has not conducted sonar mapping since last summer. Instead, the company said earlier this year it is only drilling samples from the ocean floor.
However, an NJ 101.5 report claimed the company says it is conducting surveys.
“Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Ørsted have confirmed that sonar has been used extensively along the Jersey coast to find suitable locations for wind turbines,” NJ 101.5 reported.