A whale carcass was spotted floating in the waters of a Harpswell cove on Monday.
The town of Harpswell posted on Facebook that it found the whale floating in Wills Gut next to the Cribstone Bridge, which connects Orr’s Island and Bailey’s Island.
The town has not yet determined what species of whale it is. The town said it made the Facebook post to notify locals that that calls to report the whale are no longer needed.
One resident told NewsCenter Maine that there is a “pungent” smell in the nearby area.
The town is evaluating how to remove the whale from the water, which is posing a challenge because of the “tough location mixed in with ledges,” according to the Facebook post. Harpswell Harbor Master Paul Plummer told NewsCenter Maine that the town estimates it will cost $1,500 to dispose of the carcass.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources and Marine Mammals of Maine have visited the site to begin an investigation, the town said.
And Plummer told NewsCenter Maine that the town has also spoken with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to determine next steps.
It’s the second instance of a dead whale floating in Maine waters this month. The city of Portland teamed up with a local boatyard to haul the carcass of a humpback whale from the Portland Harbor on June 6. The whale, known as Chunk, had fishing gear wrapped around its tail. NOAA later said that Chunk likely drowned because of injuries from the fishing gear entanglement.
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