A whale has been spotted in the Elizabeth River. It’s not something you hear every day, but that’s exactly what’s been happening all this week.
The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team has been monitoring the live whale daily since last Thursday, August 14.
The 40 foot whale was originally spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in the James River between the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel. It was immediately noted there were no obvious signs of entanglement or injury, Aquarium officials say.
Since then, the whale has been seen actively swimming in circles and laps in various Elizabeth River locations, most recently in the river’s Southern Branch near the Jordan Bridge and Paradise Creek.
The Stranding Response Team has observed that the whale is thin and obviously disoriented, officials say. The Stranding Response Team has gone out with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) Marine Police and NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement to locate the whale and continue to monitor its behavior.
Without a full view of the whale’s body, it is challenging to positively identify its species. The team suspects it could be a sei whale. These whales are located worldwide, but usually live in pelagic waters offshore, officials say.
The USCG Hampton Roads continues to broadcast a warning to mariners to reduce speed and report any sightings of the whale to the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response 24 hour hotline 385-7575 or on the VHF to USCG who will inform the Aquarium.
