Photos show humpback whale washed up on Virginia Beach: Officials to examine cause of death

A deceased juvenile humpback whale that was found washed up on a Virginia beach Sunday has been pulled ashore, and a necropsy will be performed to find its cause of death.

The whale was found at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront along the Atlantic coast. On Sunday, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Stranding Response Program, which coordinates responses for all marine mammals and sea turtles that come ashore in Virginia, arrived and pulled the whale up the beach to be monitored overnight, the aquarium confirmed to USA TODAY. The team will perform a necropsy Monday on the whale, splitting the animal from mouth to tail and taking samples to determine its cause of death.

The aquarium has asked the public to maintain a safe distance from the whale and any associated gear.

The whale was spotted floating near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the Virginian-Pilot reported, and its body washed up on the beach Sunday.

Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries reported that there were four humpback whale mortalities in Virginia, and two mortalities found offshore. The number of humpback whale mortalities along the Atlantic coast has increased since 2016, with the NOAA reporting 37 humpback whale deaths observed in Atlantic states from Maine to Florida.

In February, a 30-foot decaying grey whale was found washed ashore in Huntington Beach, California after heavy storms hit the state.

Photos: Humpback whale washes up on Virginia Beach

Are humpback whales endangered?

Humpback whales are found in the world's major oceans, and can travel great distances during their seasonal migration, with some traveling thousands of miles. In the North Atlantic, two populations of the species feed during the spring, summer and fall in an area that extends across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to Norway, according to the NOAA.

Commercial whaling significantly reduced the number of humpback whales, according to the NOAA. The U.S. listed all humpback whales as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970, then under the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

While a whaling moratorium in 1985 helped with the recovery, four of 14 humpback whale population segments are protected as endangered, and one is listed as threatened.