Congressional Inquiry Seeks to Unveil Cause of Whale Deaths, Impacts of Offshore Wind Development

Experts continue to debate the root cause of why the Jersey Shore has seen an increase in the number of humpback whale strandings this year as Congressman Jeff Van Drew last week opened a legislative investigation into the industrialization of the ocean off the Atlantic coast, nearly four months after the first deceased whales were reported.

A record high six humpback whale deaths have been reported in New Jersey alone since January, two more than the entirety of 2022.