April 23, 2023 — At least 40 whale and dolphin strandings have been reported along the New Jersey-New York coastline since December.
Dozens of Jersey Shore mayors, lawmakers and a handful of advocates have a sinking suspicion that offshore wind activity is to blame. They point to the sound technology used by offshore wind developers to map the ocean floor. Military sonar technology was once blamed for the deaths of whales found with bleeding ears in the Caribbean more than 20 years ago. But what about today?
In an effort to get to the bottom of this ocean mystery, New Jersey 101.5 spoke to the research group that examined the dead mammals as well as to representatives of two companies that are developing the offshore wind projects. Their answers shed light on what kind of injuries the mammals have sustained and what kind of technology and activities the offshore wind developers are employing off the coast of New Jersey. But the question remains: What’s causing these deaths?
Whale death numbers rise dramatically
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking what they call an Unusual Mortality Event among humpback whales since 2016. This is a term given to a “significant die-off of any marine mammal population.”
But even amid the high number of strandings over the last seven years, 2023 is a standout year. The previous year-high was five in 2019. Less than five months into 2023, seven humpback whale strandings have already been recorded in New Jersey, according to NOAA. There were four in the state last year and at least two of those occurred in December 2022.