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Humpback whale carcass found floating off Wells coast washes ashore

Officials said the whale washed ashore on Strawberry Island during the overnight hours Friday into Saturday.

WELLS, Maine — Officials in Wells say the carcass of a dead whale washed ashore near Kennebunk during the overnight hours Friday into Saturday. 

The Wells Police Department said on social media the whale washed up on Strawberry Island.

As of noon Friday, it was about two miles offshore, Wells police said in a previous update. The carcass had a tracker on it and was drifting northwest, according to police.

Wells harbormaster Michael Yorke and his team monitored the whale's location as it got closer to shore, police said.

Marine Mammals of Maine, an organization that responds to stranded marine animals in southern and midcoast Maine, said it had also been monitoring the carcass. 

"The whale, identified as a known adult female named Lollipop, was outfitted with a tracking tag by Center for Coastal Studies to assist stranding networks with response efforts," Marine Mammals of Maine said in a social media post. "Lollipop drifted into Maine waters in a state of advanced decomposition. As a result, response efforts will have to focus primarily on removal as the marine weather and tides push the whale into shore."

The organization said it plans to conduct an external examination to evaluate Lollipop’s remains to the fullest extent possible if she lands on shore. Marine Mammals of Maine has been using location and drift data from the tag to guide coordination efforts with the coastal towns where she could land, according to the post.

The organization said it has also been in frequent communication with Maine Marine Patrol.

A similar situation arose in June when a humpback whale carcass washed up on coastal ledges in Harpswell. That whale was removed from the ledges via boat, towed to a nearby landing, and lifted into a dump truck by a local contractor. It was then taken to a composting facility in Litchfield.

Earlier this morning, ACO Johnston and Sgt. Baez assisted the Wells Harbor Master and his team with monitoring a...

Posted by Wells Police on Friday, August 2, 2024

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