Six meter humpback whale found dead on Brazil coast

A young humpback whale was found dead off the São Paulo coast on Monday in an advanced state of decomposition, with authorities reporting no signs of vessel collision or external accident. Officials said such occurrences can be natural during the species’ reproductive migration season toward Brazilian waters.

Roosevelt Cassio, Lais Morais, Anna Portella/Reuters

12 May 2026 at 06:46:49

Six meter humpback whale found dead on Brazil coast

Researchers from the Argonauta Institute, including Biologists and veterinarians, collect samples to determine the cause of death of a juvenile humpback whale stranded on Siriuba Beach in Ilhabela, Brazil, May 11, 2026.

Roosevelt Cassio/Reuters

A humpback whale was found dead on Monday (May 11) on the Sao Paulo coast.

The local government said the carcass, a young whale of some 6 meters long, was in an advanced stage of decomposition and showed no apparent signs of interaction with vessels or any other kind of accident.

"Occurrences of humpback whales along the northern coast of Sao Paulo state become more frequent from this time of year, during the species' reproductive migration period toward Brazilian waters. During this period, weakened or dead animals may also be recorded, a situation considered natural within the species' population dynamics," City Hall of Ilhabela said in a statement.

A crew was sent to the site to take samples and remove the carcass following the proper environmental protocol.

-Roosevelt Cassio, Lais Morais, Anna Portella/Reuters