Above: The dead whale will be buried at Jones Beach, away from the shoreline, an official said. *
A baby humpback whale washed up dead on Jones Beach, L.I., Thursday morning.
Officials estimated the 30-foot, 20-ton creature was about two years old and had been dead two weeks.
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The cause of death was unclear. There were no signs of trauma, such as propeller marks. But experts wondered aloud: Could the whale be part of the BP Gulf Coast oil spill body count?
"It's tough to see," said Paul Brooke, with the Nature Center on Jones Beach. "It looks like it got hit by a ship. It's so young to die naturally. ... It could be related with the oil spill, if it passed through there. It's a shame."
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State park staff found the whale between 7 and 8 a.m. on the east end of the beach near Parking Field Six, said George Gorman, deputy regional director for New York State Parks.
The carcass will be removed for an autopsy, according to Robert DiGiovanni, a biologist with the New York State Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue program. Once the autopsy is complete, the whale's remains will be buried inland at Jones Beach, away from the shoreline so they won't be exposed to the elements.
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Sea creatures, including whales, dolphins and turtles wash up on Long Island on a regular basis. The most recent dead whale to float in was three or four years ago at Robert Moses State Park, Gorman said.
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Beachgoers watched with apprehension Thursday afternoon as workers tried to haul the whale's body farther up the beach. It was a difficult job - the animal's weight snapped the band hooked around the whale's tail.
"It's very surprising and very sad," said a startled Daniel Zepeda, 21, who stopped to watch. "I did not expect it to be so large. It looks so peaceful now."
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Is it just me or have alot of sea creatures been washing ashore?
I'm sure some are going to be related to the oil spill, but even before that-
hasnt there been a good number over the last year or so?
What's going on with our water?
-Rach
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