SEA ISLE CITY -- A dead humpback whale washed up on the beach in this shore community Friday afternoon.
Robert Schoelkopf, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, responded to the scene in the area of 20th Street.
He estimated the whale, which washed up around 1 p.m., had been dead about four days.
The whale is described as 20 to 25 feet long, according to a report on CBS3.
The Press of Atlantic City reported the whale was seen off the coast of Strathmere farther north earlier in the day.
Schoelkopf estimated the mammal to be 2 to 3 years old.
A necropsy will be performed Saturday to determine cause of death. That will take place on the beach. The whale will then be buried at that location, Schoelkopf said.
A Facebook post from Cape May Whale Watcher reported that vessels spotted two humpback whales off Cape May this morning.
Photographer Tim Hawk contributed to this report. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.