The Edgartown shellfish department towed a decomposing whale out to sea Thursday after it had washed ashore in Katama Bay. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it had received reports on August 20 of the dead minke whale that had wound up under a private dock.

The federal agency worked with the homeowner and the shellfish department to dispose of the carcass. Because it was in such an advanced state of decomposition, the group determined the best course of action was to tow the whale out to sea, according to NOAA spokesperson Andrea Gomez.

Edgartown shellfish constable Rob Morrison said the whale was a dead juvenile minke whale. 

“Dead marine mammals could potentially impact water quality, so after contacting NOAA, DEP and the harbor master, we decided it was best that the animal be towed far offshore where it would not have adverse effects on water quality or create a bad experience for beachgoers in town,” he wrote to the Gazette in an email. 

Ms. Gomez said NOAA was not sure how the whale died.