Did the ocean fling a baby humpback whale into the Amazon jungle? It’s one possibility

Circling vultures led biologists to a dead baby humpback whale in a mangrove swamp on an Island in the Amazon River on Friday, posing several mysteries, The Express reported.

The 36-foot calf, estimated to be about 12 months old, was found about 50 feet offshore on the Brazilian island of Marajo in the Amazon River delta, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

“We’re still not sure how it landed here, but we’re guessing that the creature was floating close to the shore and the tide, which has been pretty considerable over the past few days, picked it up and threw it inland, into the mangrove,” said marine specialist Renata Emin of Bicho D’agua, a nonprofit, The Independent reported.

Biologists also aren’t sure what a baby humpback whale was doing in the mouth of the Amazon at this time of year, The Express reported. Whales are more often seen off the coast of southern Brazil from August to November.

Emin said the calf may have gotten separated from its pod “while migrating back south,” The Independent reported.

Experts are taking samples from the body to try to figure out how the whale died, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Bicho D’agua posted photos of the stranded whale’s carcass on Instagram.

The body will be left in the swamp to decompose naturally, RT reported.

“It’s very difficult to get there and there’s no way we can send a bulldozer because it would not get through,” said Dirlene Silva of the state environment department, The Independent reported. “There is no way to remove it.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 9:00 AM.