Crowds gathered on the shore by Rye State Park and Foss Beach on Monday to observe a rare sight: a 45-foot humpback whale washed onto the rocks.

Snow Plow, an 18-year-old female whale, likely died a few days earlier out at sea, said Graham Courtney, a Fish and Game conservation officer. The whale was first spotted floating miles from shore by fishermen and whale watchers Sunday.

Courtney described the humpback, which lay on her back, as both a spectacular and horrible sight.

“It’ll be an eye-opener,” he said. “There’s a lot of laws about whales and all marine life. This will be a reminder about the importance of following all the rules.”

Marine officials have not yet determined the cause of death, but they hope to conduct a necropsy. Snow Plow died at a young age for a humpback, said Tony LaCasse, spokesman for the New England Aquarium. Many live for upwards of 50 years.

“A necropsy is a priority for us at this point to be able to learn more about the individual animal and what would have led to its demise, as well as to determine more about the species or ecosystem,” he said.

Marine officials did not find any visible evidence indicating the whale was struck by a boat Monday, although they were unable to look at the humpback’s dorsal side. Other possible causes of death include disease, congenital problems or natural causes, LaCasse said.

To conduct a necropsy, the Seacoast Science Center – which is based in Rye – would partner with organizations such as the New England Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Society to bring in heavy equipment to cut and move the whale. In this case, it would be ideal to perform the necropsy on the beach where the whale was found, LaCasse said.

But Ashley Stokes, coordinator for the Seacoast Science Center’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team, said town officials may want to remove the whale carcass – by obtaining a permit to tow it out to sea – before a necropsy can be conducted.

“We’d love to do one because it’s an endangered species,” she said. “But it’s certainly understandable why a town wouldn’t want a multi-ton whale being cut up on its beach, especially as the Fourth of July approaches.”

Yet, Courtney said he thinks there is a good chance scientists will be able to conduct the necropsy.

“We’ve had fishermen who have fished in Rye here their whole lives and never seen something like this,” he said. “We’d like to know what happened.”

After a whale necropsy, waste is usually taken in large dumpsters and disposed of somewhere else, LaCasse said.

“It’s always a sad day when a whale dies,” he added. “But it’s also a great opportunity for people to learn about the animal. We’ll do a lot of explaining for the local folks.”

The case should be given extra attention, LaCasse said, because multiple whales have died on the New England coast this year. Of the three primary whale species seen off the New Hampshire coast, he described humpbacks as the most remarkable.

“On a whale watch, the whales you’re most likely going to see or definitely remember are the humpbacks,” he said. “They’re the acrobats of the whale world, and the white on their enormous fins is distinctive, too.”

Peter Reynolds, owner of Granite State Whale Watch in Rye, said his captains had seen Snow Plow before. The humpback was named for white markings on her tail.

“We’re always sad when a whale dies,” he said. “It’s not a common thing for us to see, but it has happened.”

People streamed in to look at the whale – a sight that, for many, was a first.

“I’ve been a part of the whale community for the past four or five years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a beached whale,” said Erich Dietterle, office manager of Atlantic Queen Whale Watch in Rye.

The scene made people both sad and curious, said Kristin Spaulding of Portsmouth.

“You don’t imagine that these big huge whales live right out there,” she said. “It’s hard to comprehend until you see it with your own eyes.”

Courtney said the whale poses no immediate threats, although there is a federal law that bars members of the general public from coming within 150 feet of a beached whale.

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