Dead humpback whale wrapped in rope washes ashore in eastern Newfoundland

An entangled North Atlantic right whale has been spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

An eastern Newfoundland town is trying to figure out how to get rid of a humpback whale carcass that washed up on its shores entangled in rope.

Tammy Oliver, the mayor of Spaniard’s Bay, says the town is in contact with provincial and federal authorities as it weighs its options.

She says a fisherman may be able to tow it out and sink it, or bring it to an uninhabited cove where it could decompose naturally.

If the whale can’t be taken off the beach intact, she says it may have to be cut up and shipped to a landfill.

Spaniard’s Bay resident Mark Hayward says the animal was floating in the harbour Thursday morning until the wind picked it up and brought it onto shore.

He estimates the young humpback could be about 12 metres long.

Spaniard’s Bay is roughly 40 kilometres west of St. John’s, across Conception Bay, and home to approximately 2,600 people.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says staff will visit the site to gather more information. In a statement, a department spokesperson said officials typically can determine the type of gear involved in an entanglement only after the rope is removed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.