A beached whale that washed up in Breezy Point this morning, may be near death, the New York Times reported Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, the whale was found alive around 10:40 a.m. at Beach 216th Street and Palmer Drive.
NYPD and FDNY personnel, including members of the Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, were spraying water on it to keep it alive until the Riverhead Foundation arrived to help the stranded whale.
But it may have been too late to save it.
The Times said that experts may need to euthanize the emaciated fin whale, which is estimated to be about 60 feet long and 60 or 80 tons.
UPDATE:
The whale that washed up on a beach in the Rockaways and died could potentially pose a threat to humans.
Members of the New York State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said there is a possibility that the whale could carry diseases that could be potentially harmful to people. A necropsy will be conducted on the whale sometime in the next few days to determine the cause of the animal’s death.
According to a report from Discovery News, whales can suffer from influenza, most likely by catching germs spread by bird waste. However, the risk of the disease being passed to humans is low.
