Liputan6.com, Jakarta A minke whale was found dead in New Jersey waters in early August 2025, following a collision with a small boat.
This tragic incident occurred in Barnegat Bay, near the northern tip of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, on Saturday afternoon, August 2, 2025, and attracted public and regulatory attention.
The approximately 20-foot-long marine mammal collided with the motorboat, causing the vessel to rock violently and throwing a passenger overboard, although the victim was uninjured.
The Marine Mammal Rescue Center (MMSC) had received reports of the whale stranding before the fatal collision.
The whale was later found dead on a sandbar in shallow water, with high tides complicating rescue efforts.
This incident highlights the numerous threats facing minke whale populations worldwide, including often fatal ship collisions.
Meet the Minke Whale: The Little One of the Rorqual Family
The minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is the smallest member of the rorqual whale family, which also includes fin whales and humpback whales.
There are two main species: the common minke (or northern minke) and the Antarctic minke, as well as the smaller subspecies, the pygmy minke.
The name "minke" comes from a Norwegian whale watcher named Meincke, who mistakenly mistook the whale for a blue whale.
Adult minke whales can reach lengths of up to 10 meters and weigh up to 9,071 kilograms.
The pygmy minke is slightly smaller, with a maximum length of about 8 meters and a weight of 6.3 tons. Females are generally slightly larger than males.
These whales are known for their streamlined bodies, colored black, purple, or dark gray, with a white belly or underside.
Northern minke whales have a distinctive white band in the center of their dark pectoral fins, which is not found in Antarctic minke whales.
Minke whales live in oceans worldwide, but they are most commonly found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Antarctic Oceans, particularly in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
They prefer cooler temperatures and are often seen in coastal and nearshore waters.
Minke whales are migratory, moving towards the poles in the spring to feed and returning to tropical waters in the winter to mate and give birth.
Conservation Status
As filter-feeders, minke whales use their 200 to 360 baleen plates on each side of their mouths to strain krill and small fish from seawater.
Their diet includes large fish, crustaceans, and plankton.
In the wild, minke whales typically live between 30 and 50 years, although some individuals can reach 60 years of age.
They reach sexual maturity between 3 and 8 years of age, with a gestation period of 10–11 months and weaning their young after 4 to 6 months.
The conservation status of the common minke whale is "Least Concern," while the Antarctic minke whale is "Near Threatened."
The global population of minke whales is estimated to be stable, with approximately 209,800 individuals.
However, they face a variety of serious threats, including commercial whaling in some countries, natural predators such as killer whales, ship strikes, pollution, and entanglement in fishing gear, which is often fatal.
Minke Whale Deaths in New Jersey: A Tragedy at Sea
The tragic death of a minke whale in New Jersey occurred on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in Barnegat Bay.
The approximately 20-foot (6-meter) minke whale collided with a motorboat, an incident that nearly capsized the boat and threw a passenger overboard.
This collision was the primary cause of the whale's death.The Marine Mammal Rescue Center (MMSC) received a report of the whale stranding in the bay at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time from the New Jersey State Marine Unit.
While the MMSC was coordinating its crew, the boat collision occurred.
The whale was later found dead on a sandbar in shallow water, and authorities were unable to approach due to high tides.
To determine the official cause of death, a necropsy is scheduled for Monday, August 4, 2025, at the state park.
There are unverified reports that the whale may have sustained injuries prior to the videotaped collision.
Further investigation is expected to shed light on the whale's condition prior to the fatal incident.