MARSHFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - The die-off of minke whales along the New England coast continued Tuesday after another dead whale washed ashore in Marshfield.
The carcass was first spotted floating about six miles east of Scituate Sunday before washing up in Marshfield around noon Tuesday, the New England Aquarium announced.
Aquarium officials determined that the 26-foot-long whale had been heavily scavenged by sharks and had limited necropsy value in determining its death.
Marshfield town officials will decide on disposal options as the carcass lays on a rocky shore that is not easily accessible with heavy equipment.
Out of 26 known minke whale deaths in 2016, 20 have occurred in New England with nine in Massachusetts, eight in Maine, two in New Hampshire and one in Rhode Island.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared an unusual mortality event for the species.
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