Pontoon boat hits whale

Suzanne Thurman, director of the MERR Institute, said they are trying to identify the whale and assess its condition after receiving a report that the whale was struck on Sunday by a pontoon boat in the inlet.

Late Sunday, Derek Stoner posted a note on the Delaware Bird line that two whales -- a mother and calf -- were spotted in the inlet on Sunday. Stoner, who was leading a group of birders through the area, could not be reached Monday.

But in his online account, he reported that one of the whales was 30 to 35 feet long and the other was 20 feet. He speculated they might be Northern right whales. A mother and calf showed up in the inlet in January 2007.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101123/NEWS/11230347