Three Marine Mammals Found Washed Up On L.I. Beaches
TOBAY BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Three marine mammals have been found washed up on beaches across Long Island within 24 hours, authorities said Thursday.
WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reports
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Two of the animals, a pygmy sperm whale and a white-sided dolphin are dead, were found dead on a beach in the Hamptons. The other, a grey seal, was discovered at Tobay Beach in Nassau County and appears healthy.
Marine biologists from the Riverhead Foundation are keeping an eye on the seal and will perform necropsy's on the dead mammals to determine if the deaths are connected.
Marine biologist Kimberly Durham said seeing the sperm whale washed up on shore is especially rare.
"That is a rare encounter, we don't see many of those," she said. "They tend to be typically more of a southern species."
In the meantime, Durham said the warm winter could mean more dolphins off our shores this year.
"Making sure that New Yorkers are prepared to have dolphins all around their boats is something that we'll have to make sure that we're working with people for," she said.
Last month, an unharmed seal was found washed up on a beach in Sandy Hook, N.J.
In November of last year, another young harbor seal was rescued off the coast of Montauk after being spotted by someone on the beach.
