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Marine Mammals

Whale

Whales

Whales occur regularly in the waters surrounding Martha's Vineyard, although they are seldom visible from land.  When they wash up on a Vineyard beach, they probably are already dead.  All whales are federally protected and should be left alone.  

If you find one please call the New England Aquarium's 24-hour Marine Animal Rescue Hotline: (617) 973-5247 as soon as possible.  The New England Aquarium will call one of its trained volunteers, who will then collect as much information as possible about the animal.

The photo on the right is of a dead 55 foot long finback whale that washed up on Norton Point in January 2005.  When healthy, this whale may have weighed as musch as 55 tons.  Numerous experts came from across the state to study this carcass, hoping to learn more about whale ecology and why this individual died.

SealsSeal

Several species of seals are regularly found in Vineyard waters.  Harbor seals are probably the most common (pictured swimming at the left) and gray seals are almost as common.  Other species that you may encounter include harp seals and hooded seals.

Many of these seals come ashore on a regular basis.  So finding a seal on the beach as you are strolling alonmg does not mean that it is not healthy.  Please leave these animals alone since approaching them will cause additional stress to these wild animals.  And please keep dogs away from them.

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