Solving the Mysterious Death of 58-Foot Whale That Washed Ashore in New York
Officials are working to remove a whale carcass that washed up in Long Island.
— -- Suffolk County officials have teamed up with the Riverhead Foundation to remove a nearly 60-foot dead whale carcass that washed up at a park in Long Island, New York.
The whale washed ashore on Thursday morning at Smith Point County Park in Shirley. It is about 58-feet long and is said to be a male finback whale, officials say.
"They need to cut the body up to dispose of it because its too large of an item," Suffolk County Parks spokeswoman Emily Lauri told ABC News today.
The animal had been dead for some time, WABC reported.
A cause of death has not yet been determined. Officials said they are working with the foundation to quickly remove the carcass.
Disposing of the body will likely be less of an issue now than it would have been two or three months ago, Lauri said.
"Due to the beach not being crowded at this time of year," she explained, "it's not as much of a problem as it could have been in the summer months."
The Riverhead Foundation did not return calls for comment.