Necropsy Underway on Dead Whale on Ocean City Beach

Update 12:15 p.m.: Technicians from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center have begun a necropsy to learn more about the death of a whale that washed up on the beach at Seventh Street in Ocean City on Monday.

At noon, the workers had made four cuts into the whale near the head.

Police are keeping the public off the beach as the work proceeds.

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Waves and tides have pushed a dead whale farther onto the beach at Seventh Street overnight.

When the tide recedes (it's low at 2:18 p.m.) on Tuesday, Marine Mammal Stranding Center technicians should have good access to determine what species it is and what caused its death.

The dead and decomposing on Monday afternoon at low tide, and based on preliminary reports, the Stranding Center representatives suggested it may be a fin whale about 40 feet long.

The shifting of the carcass farther up the beach will also help public works crews remove the animal. An offshore breeze on Tuesday is cutting down on the stench from the decomposing carcass that permeated the area on Monday.