Pygmy sperm whale dies after washing ashore in Daytona Beach Shores
Authorities said a sick and injured pygmy sperm whale that washed ashore in Daytona Beach Shores on Monday has died.
The whale was discovered along a stretch of beach just south of the Sunglow Fishing Pier, at 3701 S. Atlantic Ave.
According to the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the whale had suffered from multiple shark wounds. The whale was euthanized and was to be transported to a laboratory where a full necropsy would be performed.
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"I'm pretty much there daily riding my bike or taking a walk," he said. "I've seen dolphins and, you know, many fish and birds and things like that, but never a whale. Absolutely, not - an especially a pygmy, a rare pygmy whale."
Marine wildlife experts said if you encounter a beached animal, not to push it back into the water but to contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for guidance.
