PHIPPSBURG, Maine — There were at least three stranded whales discovered off the Maine coast this week, according to Marine Mammals of Maine.
Director Lynda Doughty told NEWS CENTER Maine the organization responded to strandings in Phippsburg, St. George, and Boothbay.
The first discovered off of Phippsburg was a 29-foot, 10,000-pound adult female minke whale floating in the water.
With the help of Maine Marine Patrol, experts were able to collect samples and document them. The organization said efforts to retrieve the whale for further evaluation were delayed because the whale was towed to different locations by members of the public.
Eventually, crews were able to get the whale from a private beach in Georgetown using a front-loader. Doughty said the whale was taken by truck to a state-approved marine mammal compost facility.
Minke whales are one of three species included in the large whale Unusual Mortality Event currently active along the Eastern seaboard, according to Marine Mammals of Maine.
A spokesperson for Maine Marine Patrol did not immediately return a request for comment.
