Update on Strandings of Large Whales along the East Coast

To date, sixteen humpback whales have stranded along the Atlantic coast this winter. These
strandings are part of the Humpback Whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME) declared by the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that began in 2016. On February 12, 2023, a dead North Atlantic right whale stranded on Virginia Beach, Virginia.

This Marine Mammal Commission brief provides an update on stranding of large whales along the East Coast.