Biologists: Propeller Likely to Blame for Coney Island Beached Whale

A 20ft Minke whale washed up onto the shore of Brighton Beach just east of the Coney Island amusement district yesterday.

According to the AP biologists from the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation believe that the adult female was stuck by a boat’s propeller. Official autopsy results are still pending.

Yesterday was not the first time that news of a whale has made headlines in the area.

During the summer of 1954, a 75 foot embalmed whale named Mrs. Haroy sat on display at 3022 Stillwell ave. near the Bowery behind Nathan’s Famous. Leif Soegaard named the whale Haroy after an island in Norway near where the whale had once lived.

The whale was first on display in Manhattan on the corner of 69th st and Broadway before being hauled to Coney Island at a cost of $3,500.

The smell of the whale kept customers away from nearby Nathan’s Famous.

On July 13th 1954, local vendors set the stage where the whale was sitting on fire.

Over the years there were numerous other whales on display at Coney Island; however, I would like to think that we have now evolved to a point where we treat animals whether dead or alive humanely and respectfully.