'Pivot' The Humpback Whale, Often Seen In Gulf Of Maine, Found Dead On Maryland Coast

ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, Md. (CBS) -- A humpback whale with a long history of being spotted in New England waters has been found dead off the coast of Maryland. "Pivot" was founded stranded last week on Assateague Island, the state's Department of Natural Resources Fisheries said.

"We are sad to confirm that a well-known Gulf of Maine humpback whale, Pivot, was found stranded along the Maryland coast last Thursday night," the department said in a Facebook post. "Pivot' was first cataloged by [the Center for Coastal Studies] in 2008 and had a regular sighting history in the Gulf of Maine."

It's not clear yet what caused Pivot's death. Biologists were working to collect tissue samples from Pivot and remove the body from the surf.

Humpback whales, considered to be an endangered species, can live to be up to 90 years old. The Gulf of Maine is one of several key whale feeding areas in the North Atlantic, according to the Center for Coastal Studies.