Call it a dawn after the COVID-19 storm. It looked that way at sunrise on the Shrewsbury River on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Continue reading Scene Around: Sunrise on the Shrewsbury River; A Covid-19 Era DawnUPDATE: Since the initial Friday morning release from the NJ State Police Marine Services Bureau, the type of whale cited was edited by police from their original “blue” classification to humpback. In addition, it was reported that the whale had been seen swimming toward Sandy Hook after having been hit at a low speed near Highlands by a boat.
It was also reportedly entangled in a net from which those certified in handling such entanglements of a whale from Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network (see below) are working out a plan to free it.
Today, Saturday, as of 2 p.m., several people had reported on social media seeing a whale swimming in the ocean off Sea Bright Public Beach (near Anchorage). Dolphins were cited nearby. Authorities reiterate that boaters should be on the alert and avoid any close proximity to the entangled whale so that it may feed, swim and eventually become disentangled from the net without endangerment.
From the Marine Mammal Stranding Center … (about 3:30 p.m.)
Yesterday a 30-foot humpback whale was spotted in the Shrewsbury River in Monmouth County near the Highlands bridge. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center spent the day monitoring the whale from aboard a New Jersey State Police vessel.
Throughout the day the whale displayed normal behavior. As the whale swam under the bridge back out towards the bay, an aerial photo of the whale was taken that upon later review revealed fishing gear on the rostrum of the whale which was not visible when observed from the water. The Center for Coastal Studies in Cape Cod, a member of the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network, was contacted by the MMSC.
They are the only agency federally-permitted to perform large whale disentanglements. These highly specialized teams receive intensive training on performing these highly dangerous operations.
Planning the logistics of disentangling a large whale is quite complicated due to the high risk factors to both the rescuers and the whale. Unfortunately one cannot simply remove netting from a large free-swimming whale right away after being spotted, so please be patient as our colleagues at CCS work on a plan.
We are asking the public to please report any whale sightings to the MMSC (609) 266-0538. Special thanks to NOAA, NJ Fish and Wildlife Marine Division, NJ State Police, US Coast Guard and Monmouth County Sheriff Marine Unit for their collaboration today, and to our volunteers Danielle Brown, Bill Schultz, Lorraine MCartney and Debbie DiGianno for helping to monitor the whale. Signed- MMSC STAFF
The original post from Friday …
Continue reading Whale of a Shrewsbury River Sighting
Call it a howling success of a dog day of spring. Sunday was all about some bright sunshine washing away the pandemic fear. It was also about a bit less solitude, with NJ Gov. Phil Murphy opening the state’s parks.
Continue reading Scene Around: Socially Distanced Dog Days of SpringThe Monmouth University School of Science and the Borough of Rumson will host a Two River Seminar Series centered on the environment and wildlife of the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers beginning in September.
Continue reading Rumson & Monmouth U to Host Two River SeminarsThe newest and largest member of the Monmouth University’s research vessel fleet was unveiled today on the Shrewsbury River — the 49-foot Nauvoo.
They’re small. They sting. They cause pain and could land person in the hospital. They’re clinging jellyfish; and they’ve made their way back into the Shrewsbury River this summer season.
Continue reading NJDEP: Clinging Jellyfish Back in the Shrewsbury River
This is a test. A trial measure is in place to abate seasonally high traffic volume between Rumson and Sea Bright.
The Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge, the drawbridge which spans over the Shrewsbury River, will open less frequently, on the hour only rather than every half hour, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays this summer season. The trial begins on Friday, May 25, and will be in effect through Sept. 3.
Continue reading Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Openings Set to Change
It was quite the hauntingly comforting scene on Tuesday — mist rising from the Shrewsbury River from the Sea Bright side to Rumson and all the way to Highlands.
Then the sun poked through the clouds, the mist evaporated and it was time for a little reflection … of the crystalline riverfront view onto the water and life in the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
Fair Havenite Sandi Richards-von Pier captured the moments.
Take a look … (and don’t forget to click to enlarge!)
Well, if a sunny Friday morning on the Shrewsbury River is any indication of what’s to come over this Fourth of July weekend, it’s all about celebrating some sunny days along with the birth of our nation.
From the Sea Bright side, overlooking the West Park section of Rumson and Gunning Island this morning, skies were blue and clear as the NJ State Marine Police patrolled the Shrewsbury and boaters boated.
According to the National Weather Service, the only exception to the good weekend weather case may be Saturday, as forecasters forecast some heavy rain and a bit of stormy weather. But, as for the rest of the holiday time, all’s sunny.
Happy Independence Day weekend, all! Enjoy and stay safe!
— Elaine Van Develde
Sometimes you just need to escape to an island. And all you need to do is look out onto the Shrewsbury River to find one.
If you can’t get in your gondola and paddle over there, the 32-acre Gunning Island preserve, 20 acres of which has been owned by Rumson since 2007, is close enough to see from the banks of Rumson or Sea Bright. For RFHers, it holds a cache of party and young pleasure boating memories.
It now seems to beckon with a sigh of serenity and solitude in its wildlife preserve state.
Exhale and take in the memories with the scenery …
(Don’t forget to click to enlarge.)
— Elaine Van Develde
With the rise in rampant fear looming over the dime-sized clinging jellyfish’s sting to people recreating in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers that border the Rumson-Fair Haven peninsula, Fair Haven officials have issued a fact sheet advising people of the jellyfish’s characteristics and where they thrive.
Here it is …
The Clinging Jellyfish (Gonionemus vertens) is a small hydrozoan jellyfish about the size of a dime that can be found in bay and estuarine waters.
WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
Clinging jelly sh are native to the Paci c Ocean. They were introduced to the eastern Atlantic Coast as early as 1894 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, but can be found from Maine to North Carolina. Clinging jelly sh thrive in temperate regions, and can be found in sheltered shallow bay and estuarine waters where tides are not strong enough to dislodge them.
They prefer to cling to vegetation and other substrates (e.g. shells) during the day. They typically feed at night in the water column on small marine animals (zooplankton), but have been observed during the day. They are not typically found in coastal ocean waters.
HOW BIG DO THEY GET?
This is a small jelly sh that only grows to about 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter, but it can expand to about three inches in diameter. They have 60-90 tentacles that contain the nematocysts or stinging cells.
WHY ARE THEY IN NEW JERSEY WATERS THIS YEAR?
Although they have not been previously reported in New Jersey waters, their presence here may be a recent introduction, or they may have gone unnoticed in the past. They do not produce large populations as do some other jellyfish, but can be found in local areas in small to moderate numbers.
The dime-sized, dangerous clinging jellyfish has surfaced in the waters of the Shrewsbury River, reportedly stinging a Middletown man who was hospitalized and leaving area emergency officials and residents on alert.
You must be logged in to post a comment.