Rick Cameron discovered a marine mammal washed up on the shoreline of Cape Wolfe.
© Rick CameronRick Cameron discovered a marine mammal washed up on the shoreline of Cape Wolfe.
A local man discovered a marine mammal on Cape Wolfe beach Sunday afternoon.

Rick Cameron was with his wife, Bethe, taking a leisurely stroll along the shore when they noticed something reflect the sunlight in the distance.

"We first spotted it a kilometer away and thought it was a power boat caught in the rocks because the sun was glimmering over the top, but as we got closer my wife and I began to realize it was something else."

A mysterious 10-foot long black whale carcass rested between the sea and sand, with no signs of trauma or decay.

"We managed to get quite close, and you can't smell anything other than a faint salty smell of the sea, and there are no signs of decay," noted Cameron. "I believe it washed up on shore in the last 18 hours.

This summer 13 right whales have been found dead in Maritime waters, but it is not known if this one is a right whale. There are only about 520 right whales left.

"I have seen whales with tour groups out swimming in the ocean, and last year I went lobster fishing with friends and watched a whale, but this is the first time we have seen one dead on shore, Cameron said."

Fisheries and Oceans Canada have been contacted.