NJ Officials Investigate: Who Shot the Whale?

New Jersey officials want to find the person who shot a whale that washed up dead along a Monmouth County beach.

The 10-foot male, short-finned pilot whale, weighing more than 700 pounds, was found on a beach in Allenhurst on Sept. 24.

According to Bob Schoelkopf of the Marine Mammal Stranding the gunshot wound to the jaw caused a “massive infection” that made the whale unable to eat, reports the Star-Ledger.

The whale starved to death, Schoelkopf says.

“It literally died of starvation. It probably traveled quite a distance before it became so weak that it washed ashore,” Schoelkopf told the Star-Ledger.

Both Schoelkopf and Scott Doyle, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Star-Ledger that this is the first time in both their careers that someone has shot a whale – 33 and 25 years respectively.

Cases of dolphins and seals being shot is more common, Schoelkopf says. He investigates two to three dolphin or seal shootings a year.

The bullet recovered from the whale’s jaw was sent to a lab for ballistics testing.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 732.280.6490.