Here’s what to do if you spot a beached whale in Myrtle Beach, SC

When walking the sands around Myrtle Beach, you might find jellyfish or starfish washed up. It’s unusual to discover a whale.

The pygmy sperm whale found around noon on Thursday on Myrtle Beach near Pirateland died later in the day.

The 300 pound mammal was alive on the beach for a time before dying of natural causes, said South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Horry County beach patrol was on hand keeping people away from the scene, south of Myrtle Beach State Park.

Here’s how to respond if you spot a beached whale in South Carolina.

What do you do if you find a beached whale?

If you find a whale, dolphin, seal or other marine mammal on the shore, dead or alive, report it to SCDNR’s hotline at 1-800-922-5431, recommends Lauren Rust, executive director of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Center, which responds to reports of stranded animals in South Carolina.

Do not touch the animal. Rust said that beached marine mammals might have diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

Rust also urged beachgoers to refrain from moving the animal into the water.

“Pushing them back and sort of forcing them to swim only prolongs their suffering,” Rust said. Displacing the animal can also delay response teams and veterinarians from doing their jobs.

What happens when a rescue organization gets a report of a washed up whale?

Usually beached mammals are either sick, injured or already dead.

“They strand for a reason. So from then, our team is just going to try to determine what the reason was,” Rust said.

If the animal is alive, the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network sends a veterinarian to provide medical care. Whales can survive for several hours out of water.

If the animal is found dead, the organization collects information about the species, sex and probable cause of death of the mammal.