Experts: Whale in Encounter With Boat on Barnegat Bay Was in Poor Health, Buried on Beach

A minke whale that became stranded in Barnegat Bay, Aug. 2025. (Credit: Marine Mammal Stranding Center/ Michael McKenna/ Facebook)

A necropsy was performed on a minke whale that was caught on video over the weekend swimming underneath a recreational boat in the Double Creek Channel in Barnegat Bay, ejecting a passenger into the water and nearly capsizing the vessel. The examination showed the whale was in poor health based on preliminary results, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said in a statement issued Monday night.

The adult female minke whale, measuring 26 feet, 4 inches in length, became stranded on an island in the bay after encountering the boat in about 4 to 5 feet of water Saturday. It was declared deceased by technicians who arrived after the incident, and officials planned to take it to Island Beach State Park on Monday to perform the necropsy at a time that coincided with high tide. The necropsy was performed Monday afternoon and the whale has already been buried at the beach.

A minke whale that became stranded in Barnegat Bay, Aug. 2025. (Credit: Marine Mammal Stranding Center/ Michael McKenna/ Facebook)

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According to MMSC, preliminary necropsy findings indicated that the whale was in overall thin body condition.

“Superficial cuts were present externally, with bruising present in the blubber and muscle in the areas of trauma on the dorsal side. Blood was present in the lungs,” the center said. “The GI tract was empty with very little digestive material present, and a scant amount of fecal matter. Lesions were present in the stomach.”

At the conclusion of the necropsy, the whale was buried on the beach. Various biological samples were collected during the necropsy examination and will be sent to a pathologist for further analysis. When results become available, they will be shared via MMSC’s website.

A minke whale that became stranded in Barnegat Bay, Aug. 2025. (Credit: Marine Mammal Stranding Center/ Michael McKenna/ Facebook)

Several law enforcement and marine conservation agencies responded to the incident, including the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Cornell University, NJ State Marine Police, U.S. Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, NJ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers, Sea Tow, Berkley Township Underwater Search and Rescue, Island Beach State Park staff, and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement.