Sei It Isn’t So

By Katie McFadden

On Thursday, March 26, an endangered whale species washed up dead on Beach 96th Street.

The 45-foot male Sei whale was spotted floating 15 miles off of Long Island the previous day and had washed up on the beach in Rockaway. A Sei whale is a federally endangered baleen whale, the third largest after blue whales and fin whales. Sei whales, with a dark bluish-gray back and a white underside, are typically found globally in temperate to subpolar waters, and are a rare sight locally as they prefer deeper waters. They are a fast whale that can grow between 40 to 60 feet long and weigh up to 50 tons.

Many flocked to the beach on Thursday to catch a glimpse of the rare sight. NYC Parks and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation staff roped off the area around the whale, as they awaited professionals to conduct a necropsy examination to determine a possible cause of death. On Friday morning, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society was joined by members of Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program, Marine Mammals of Maine, Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Cornell University’s Wildlife Health Lab and Whale Dolphin Conservation for the necropsy to gain hands-on experience dealing with this species.

According to AMSEAS, the whale showed evidence of a vessel strike. “The necropsy examination revealed that the animal was in good body condition and had been eating prior to its death as evidenced by findings of food within the digestive tract. The whale had distinctive abrasions along its right side, and the internal examination revealed extensive bruising in the surrounding tissues on the right side of the body, extending dorsally. These preliminary findings are consistent with a suspected vessel strike as the likely cause of death,” AMSEAS shared. “Samples were collected from many parts of the whale, including blubber, tissues, and organs that will be sent to a pathologist for further analysis. Histopathological analyses are required to confirm preliminary necropsy findings. Pathology reports may take several months or longer to come back. Biological samples have various destination points to laboratories across the country. Labs have various response times, sometimes up to a year.

“Following the examination, the animal was buried on site in accordance with NOAA Fisheries’ best practices.”

The last whale to wash up on a Rockaway beach was a humpback whale in May 2025.

To report sightings of sick, injured, entangled, or deceased whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles to the NYS Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline, call (631)-369-9829.

Photos by Katie McFadden.