WATCH: N.J. Whale deaths are surreal beach funerals. How did they become political?
© Andre Malok/nj.com/TNS
A dead humpback whale washed ashore at the L Street Beach in Seaside Park. The dead whale is one of at least 11 that have landed on beaches in New York or New Jersey since Dec. 5. Seaside Park. March 2, 2023
Editor’s note: Join Natalie Paterson at the scene of the latest whale stranding at the Jersey Shore by watching the video above, where she explores how the controversy over offshore wind development and whale deaths has grown political and heated.
Word travels quickly and a crowd gathers at the edge of the beach on a blustery March weekday.
They’ve all come for similar reasons — a chance to witness what one would normally think is a rarity but has become all too familiar at the Jersey Shore this winter.
Another dead whale.
The 30-foot humpback whale that washed ashore in Seaside Park on March 2 was the eleventh to surface along the New York-New Jersey coastline since Dec. 5.
It’s a grim sight, but I feel like I need to see this in person to process what’s been happening at my beloved Jersey Shore.
Despite the number of people, the crowd is mostly quiet until heavy machinery starts to move the whale further up the beach — and then the conversations start. We all want to know, what’s killing the whales?
At times, it feels like we’re having a political debate at a funeral.
READ MORE: N.J. invites more offshore wind proposals, says whale deaths not linked to prep work
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