Second sperm whale found dead in Florida Keys
(ORDO NEWS) — A sperm whale, the second to die within a week in the Florida Keys, was found dead in waters east of Key West on Tuesday in the waters east of Key West, state and federal officials said.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials said an adult male washed ashore on Tuesday north of Mud Key, about 15 miles northeast of Key West.
On May 4, a young sperm whale that had been separated from its mother died after making it to shore near Key Largo. The young whale had a head injury and was “hampered” by Art Cooper, who runs the Key Largo-based Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, told the newspaper.
A team of biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Marine Mammal Conservation Unit reached an adult whale on Mud Key on Tuesday and will conduct a necropsy.
Male sperm whales can grow up to 52 feet and weigh up to 45 tons, according to the FWC website. Their brain is the largest among all animals.
Kelly Richmond, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, said the whale is 47 feet long.
We just started necropsing the animal,” Richmond told the Herald on Wednesday. “It will likely take most of the day, and even then we may not have all the results.”
Casey Taylor, general manager of Robbie’s Boat Yard in Key West, said that after necropsy, the whale carcass will be placed in the water and towed out to sea so “nature can do its thing.”
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.
