The juvenile humpback was discovered 50 feet from the river. Image: Instagram/Bicho D’água
While walking through the Amazon Rainforest, one would not usually expect to come across a humpback whale. Sure, there are plenty of other strange and wonderful creatures that call the South American jungle home, but whales are not one. Strangely, though, the carcass of a young humpback whale was discovered last week lying on dry land.
The whale is thought to be about a year old, according to the Brazilian conservation group Bicho D’água. Measuring in at around 30-feet long, the whale was found 50 feet away from the edge of a river on Marajó Island. Researchers have a theory as to how it may have ended up in its unlikely final resting place: they believe it may have washed into the Amazon River mouth, then left beached as the tide receded. It does seem to be the only likely explanation, but it’s still a very odd find.
Researchers suspect the whale washed into the river mouth, then was left stranded as the tide pulled back. Image: Instagram/Bicho D’água
While the cause of death is still unknown, scientists are taking samples in an effort to find out how the juvenile whale died. “It is fairly unusual to find humpbacks in this area at this time of year,” wrote IFLScience‘s Tom Hale. “Therefore, it’s believed the young individual became separated from its pod during migration and eventually died as a result of stress.”
