Park rangers and wildlife specialists with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), in coordination with the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), reported Tuesday the discovery of a dead juvenile humpback whale on Santa Teresa Beach in the Cóbano District of Nicoya Peninsula.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. Adults typically range from 46 to 56 feet in length and can weigh up to 40 metric tons. The species has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. Humpback whales are known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making them popular with whale watchers.

Authorities said the young whale, estimated to be about 15 feet long, was found by local residents in an advanced state of decomposition.

Experts believe the whale may have died near the coast and that its remains were washed ashore by high tide early Tuesday morning.

Authorities and wildlife specialists are coordinating the removal and proper disposal of the whale’s remains to reduce potential environmental and public health impacts in the area.

Officials urged beachgoers not to touch the whale because of potential health risks.

The operation is being carried out in coordination with SENASA, SINAC and teams from the Municipality of Puntarenas.

This is the second case of a whale found dead on a Costa Rican beach so far this year. In July, park rangers discovered the remains of a juvenile sperm whale, also known as a cachalot, on Cahuita Beach in Limón Province.

Another incident involving marine wildlife was reported this week after thousands of purple swimming crabs were found dead along beaches in Guanacaste Province.

In a separate wildlife advisory, the Ministry of Environment and Energy recently issued an alert after poisonous Atlantic Portuguese man-of-war were detected in several areas of Cahuita National Park in Limón Province.

In a related development, sightings of a Galápagos sea lion and a Galápagos fur seal were reported this week at several beaches along the Pacific Coast.

SENASA is a regulatory agency responsible for public health, food safety and animal welfare.

SINAC is the government agency responsible for managing Costa Rica’s national parks and protected areas.

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