Dead humpback whale mysteriously turns up in the Amazon rainforest

The beached whale believed to be just one year old

(Web Desk) – Surprisingly the carcass of an 8-meter humpback whale was discovered in the mangrove forests of northern Brazil. A 36-feet long humpback whale has been found dead in the Amazon jungle, miles from its natural habitat.

According to Brazilian media, the beached whale, believed to be just one year old, was found 15 meters (49 feet) from the river beach on Marajó Island, the world’s largest island produced by sediments deposited from a river.

It’s likely that the humpback whale washed into the river mouth of the Amazon and was dumped on land as the tides pulled back.

Over the weekend, a group of scientists headed to the area hoping to identify the cause of death.

(@bicho_dagua) on Feb 23, 2019 at 6:23pm PST

They will take samples from the carcass in the next few days to gain further insight into the strange occurrence and hope to eventually bury the body. Humpback whales are a species of baleen whale that can grow up to 16 meters (52 feet) in length.

Although their population numbers appear to be on the rise, the IUCN Red List notes that this species is endangered.

Some scientists even argue that humpback whales in the oceans of the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Southern Hemisphere are so dissimilar they should be recognized as separate subspecies.