Young whale stranded on the beach in Florida is euthanized
It happened on Monday afternoon along the beaches of Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida.
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NAPLES, Flo. — Police responded to an unusual call when a pilot whale calf was found stranded on the beach in Florida.
It happened on Monday afternoon along the beaches of Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida.
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The Collier County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the scene to help the beached baby whale. Officials later confirmed that the whale had to be euthanized.
Local news agencies are reporting that the whale was spotted in shallow water just a few feet from shore.
Deputies work together to try to rescue a whale calf, who eventually had to be euthanized. (Collier County Sheriff's Office/Facebook / FOX Weather)
While tragic, whale beaching is somewhat common, with about 2,000 strandings happening each year worldwide, according to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and most beaching result in the death of the animal.
Some whale and dolphin species are more prone to beaching, including toothed whales, and Orca whales, who sometimes intentionally beach themselves to hunt for shoreline seals.
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According to the International Whaling Commission, short-finned pilot whales are typically found in tropical and warm-temperature oceans.
Like killer whales and sperm whales, pilot whales form stable family and social groups of 20 to 100 individuals. They are known to stay with their maternal group for life.
Due to their strong social bonds, pilot whales are often involved in mass stranding, per NOAA Fishers.
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Experts suggest that if you see an injured or stranded marine mammal, do not try to push them back into the water.
Many animals strand themselves because they are ill or injured, which requires trained responders to intervene, according to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida.