Orca whale stranded on Flagler beach had 'signs of various illnesses,' NOAA says
The orca whale that beached itself and died in Palm Coast on Wednesday had "signs of various illnesses," officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries division have said.
Also known as a killer whale, the orca was the first ever of its species to be stranded in the entire Southeastern United States, which ranges from North Carolina to Texas and includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The marine mammal's skeleton may also be displayed in a national museum in the future.
"This was an older female, with no signs of human interaction or trauma. There were signs of various illnesses," NOAA Fisheries Communications Allison Garrett wrote in an email. "We will know more once necropsy results come back. Samples are taken and sent to the lab for analysis."
'Very rare in our waters'Palm Coast sees first ever stranded orca whale in Southeast
Everything we know:A 21-foot killer whale that washed up on Palm Coast was probably ill, experts said
Rare sighting:North Atlantic right whale and calf spotted in Flagler Beach
The orca washed up south of Jungle Hut Park in Palm Coast on Wednesday morning, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office first reported.
Crews from SeaWorld, the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped load the 5,000-pound, 21-foot carcass on a truck that arrived at SeaWorld in Orlando last night to begin a necropsy.
Veterinarians, pathologists and whale biologists are looking at the whale's organ systems and sending tissue samples for analysis, which may take weeks to months for full results, according to Erin Fougeres, Marine Mammal Stranding Program administrator for NOAA's Southeast region.
The preliminary assessment of the whale's illnesses matches Fougeres' explanation of why marine mammals typically beach themselves.
"We typically see animal strands because they're sick or injured," she had said on Wednesday.
Garrett confirmed that the orca's remains will be buried at the University of Florida for decomposition. The skeleton will then be sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., for possible display.
Orcas are rare in the southeastern United States. There are small stocks of killer whales in the Western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, but they are more common further north, with about 14,000 whales in the broader North Atlantic region, Fougeres said.
Contact reporter Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Dead Florida killer whale will go to Smithsonian for possible display
