10-foot pygmy sperm whale washes ashore in Indialantic
Researchers are looking into the death of a 10-foot-long pygmy sperm whale, found early Friday morning in front of Bleu Beach Resort, just north of James H. Nance Park in Indialantic.
“I’m not sure if it came in alive,” said Wendy Noke Durden, a research scientist with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.
It's not uncommon for pygmy sperm whales to wash up dead in Florida. After dolphins, they are the second-most common whale or dolphin species that washes up dead in the Southeast United States, Noke Durden said.
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Hubbs-SeaWorld plans to examine tissue samples from the whale to determine its cause of death.
Pygmy sperm whales frequent temperate and tropical seas worldwide. They look very similar to dwarf sperm whales, so it can be difficult to distinguish between the two species in the field, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website.
NOAA protects pygmy sperm whales, like all marine mammals, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
If you see sick, injured or dead wildlife, call FWC hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Pygmy sperm whale found dead on beach in Brevard, Florida
