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Coast Guard, State Police, Protecting Whale in Raritan Bay

The U.S. Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook and the NJ State Police enforced a safety zone for an entangled whale, believed to be a humpback, in the Raritan Bay this afternoon, according to an announcement by the Coast Guard.

A Good Samaritan alerted the Coast Guard about a possible entangled whale early this afternoon, prompting  Coast Guard personnel from Station New York, Sandy Hook and the New Jersey State Police to the scene.

At 2:30 p.m., NJSP reported the whale had submerged and had not been relocated after thirty minutes of searching.

The Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries asks boaters in the area to keep a close eye out for the entangled whale and to remember to follow safe viewing guidelines, found here which includes staying 100 yards away from whales for your safety and theirs. Humpback whales can reach lengths of 60 feet and can weigh around 40 tons.

“Safeguarding our waterways and marine ecosystem is the foundation to all of the Coast Guard’s missions – this includes the marine life that inhabits the waters of New York and New Jersey,” said Capt. Jason Tama, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York. “The Coast Guard will continue to monitor any reports of whales in our waters and will promptly engage with our state and federal partners, to ensure the safety of our maritime environment.”

Sightings should be reported to the NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Stranding and Entanglement Hotline at 866-755-NOAA. Any sighting can also be reported to Coast Guard Sector New York at 718-354-4353.

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Posted: June 30th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, New Jersey | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

One Comment on “Coast Guard, State Police, Protecting Whale in Raritan Bay”

  1. BroadwayBill said at 9:10 pm on June 30th, 2018:

    This time of year there’s all sorts of whales out on Sandy Hook – most of them are here from Staten Island!