© Rich Beauchesne/SeacoastonlineA 45-foot female humpback whale, identified as Snow Plow, washed onto some rocks near the Rye Harbor State Park early Monday morning.
The whale, which lay on its back, was guessed to have been dead for days before the tides pushed it to shore.
Fisherman had reported seeing the corpse floating 20 miles out at sea Sunday.
"A once in a lifetime experience!" said Rye resident Denise Levin after witnessing her first beached whale. Levin has been living in the area for almost 50 years and had never seen a whale so close.
Marine scientists responded to the scene and were working to determine the cause of death and scientists said a necropsy would be necessary to determine the cause definitively.
Jooke Robbins, senior scientist at the Center for Coastal Studies, said it would be unusual if Snow Plow had died of natural causes at her age.
Diane Schulte of the Blue Ocean Society was able to identify Snow Plow, who had been observed by scientists since she was a calf in 1998 in the southern Gulf of Maine.
Snow Plow's mother, Fern, is still alive and was seen as recently as two days ago in the Gulf of Maine, Robbins said.
"There's no obvious signs for reasons of why the animal is deceased," said Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh. State officials at the National Marine Fisheries Service have already determined that the cause of death was most likely not caused by a boat or entanglement in fishing line.
Mike Henry, a special agent for the National Marine Fisheries Service, said it will remain to be seen if a necropsy will be conducted.
"For us as an agency we contract with the Seacoast Science Center, they're our marine stranding network," said Henry. "This is actually the first time a whale has beached since I've been here, so we're feeling through the process."
Ashley Stokes, coordinator for the Seacoast Science Center's Marine Mammal Rescue Team, said she was in contact with the New England Aquarium and other government agencies about how to properly dispose of the giant sea mammal.
"We're working with New England Aquarium right now, because they are kind of the local whale expert," said Stokes. "At minimum, where it's just about low tide we'll get a bunch of measurements and try to look her over more closely."
"Yesterday a report came in that it was a possible boat strike, they had thought they had seen some propeller wounds," Stokes said. "But there's nothing visible right now to indicate that, but that's not to say on the dorsal side there might be something else."
Because of weddings at the Rye State Park, it's assumed by Stokes that the state will want to remove the carcass off of Foss Beach. The tide wasn't expected to take the whale back out to sea, but it may become dislodged from the rocks and float onto the beach.
Stokes recommends the public not venture too close to the mammal, as it is against U.S. law to come within 150 feet of a beached whale. It also might pose a health risk.
"Stay away," said Stokes. "As the tide comes in we'll move the boundaries back, we'll have a constant presence down here as long as she's down here. It's illegal even when they're dead to approach them."
Officials said the corpse will also expand as it starts to decompose and could explode from gas build up.
"The disease count would be high," said Chief Walsh. "If you want to make a poor judgment decision and a risk, I can't help you there."
Snow Plow's name comes from markings on her tail, no longer easily visible, which resembled a snowplowing skier.
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