Marine biologists in Brazil were stunned to discover a young humpback whale on Friday that had washed ashore on a remote, forested island in the Amazon River, at a time of the year when it should have already migrated thousands of miles to Antarctica. About 50 feet from the shore, scientists spotted the lifeless humpback — about 26 feet long — lodged in thick shrubs and brush. It had been dead for at least several days, government officials in Pará, a state in northern Brazil, told local news media. But this humpback was found near the mouth of the Amazon River, some 4,000 miles from its expected feeding grounds, a baffling discovery that has stumped the scientists who found it. “The question is, What was a humpback whale doing in the month of February on the northern coast of Brazil?

Source: New York Times February 25, 2019 20:37 UTC