A young sperm whale, described to be around 13 feet in length, had reportedly washed ashore on the northern portion of Miami Beach Tuesday morning. In a video shared to @OnlyInDade by beachgoers, the mammal was still breathing when it emerged on the shoreline, but had been euthanized by wildlife officials due to its condition.
In the post, the whale can be seen lying on its side as the waves move towards the shore.
The whale will be necropsied (the animal equivalent of a human autopsy) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Miami lab to have a better understanding of what might have happened. While there aren’t many instances of whales washing ashore in the southeastern U.S., experts say marine mammals may strand due to being sick, injured or — in some cases like this one — separated from their mothers and cannot survive on their own.
NOAA thanked the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for their response at the beach.
What can you do to help? If you witness a dead or injured marine mammal, contact the 1-877-WHALE-HELP (942-5343) hotline so that responders can assess the situation.
Protected by the Endangered Species Act, sperm whales are one of the world’s largest animals, reaching lengths of up to 52 feet and weighing up to 90,000 pounds, according to NOAA Fisheries. They are found in oceans worldwide and primarily eat squid, sharks, skates and fish.