DFO says it does not know how the whale died.
© Fred CoxDFO says it does not know how the whale died.
A dead whale floating in the waters off the Burin Peninsula is a humpback, scientists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans confirmed Wednesday.

Pictures of the carcass were posted to social media Tuesday and it's believed the creature is near the community of Lamaline, which had another bloated whale carcass wash ashore in 2014.

DFO said it does not know the cause of death.

Don't touch

"Situations like these are unfortunate ... we remind the public that physical contact with whale carcasses is discouraged due to the possibility of disease transmission or injury," DFO said in a statement.

The department added that Fisheries and Oceans Canada "does not have a role in the disposal of this whale."

Responsibility lies with the municipality, the provincial government if it is on Crown land or Parks Canada if it's within a National Park.

Last week, the results of necropsies revealed that four North Atlantic right whales found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this summer died of blunt force trauma, while two died after being entangled in fishing gear.