Minke Whale dies after beaching in Little Compton

LITTLE COMPTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Program Manager Sara Callan said that a minke whale that beached on Briggs Beach in Little Compton died.

Callan said the whale was first spotted on the morning of July 10 and was alive, but died shortly after the rescue team arrived.

“The whale was in thin body condition and was determined to be a 17-foot female,” she added. “The animal stranded in a compromised state and our Mystic team, along with Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and Whale and Dolphin Conservation personnel are working together to conduct a thorough examination to learn more about what may have caused this whale to strand.”

Callan said that a number of unusual deaths from in the species have occurred since 2017, and necropsies “have shown evidence of human interaction and infectious disease.”