If you have been keeping score, then you know there have been about 9 strandings of humpback whales across the shore of New York and New Jersey since December 2022. The last one washed ashore in the neighboring town of Manasquan. Recently, 3 dolphins stranded themselves and died in the surf at Sandy Hook Bay. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center dispatched a team to the scene but didn’t make it in time to save the animals. The team did remove the animals for further investigation into their deaths. The Director of the Center, Sheila Dean, stated that it’s not uncommon for dolphins to get stranded in the winter, but it is strange for three of them to get lost at once. You can find out more information about dolphin strandings here.
Local residents and at least 13 Jersey shore mayors believe that the sonar exploration for a large Wind project that is being performed offshore of the NY and NJ coasts is causing confusion in the marine mammals’ navigation. The sonar confusion may be pushing the mammals into the path of vessels.
