Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Sperm whale close to shore, death

Marine biologists monitoring the mammal say euthanizing is the most humane option.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published January 1, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT [Ron Brackett | Times graphic]

ST. PETE BEACH - A young sperm whale is stranded and close to death in the shallow waters near the mouth of Tampa Bay, marine biologists monitoring the endangered species said Monday.

The 25- to 30-foot whale had been floating around the Pinellas coastline since at least Sunday, when it was spotted by a commercial fisherman.

There are as many as 1,300 sperm whales living in the Gulf of Mexico, according to one estimate, but rarely do they get so close to land. Most whales, biologists say, live their entire lives in waters deeper than 200 meters (660 feet).

The diversion to shallow water - this whale is floating in water less than 9 feet deep - is often a sign of distress. A cadre of marine biologists monitoring the whale made the decision Monday afternoon to euthanize the massive mammal after its breathing became labored.

Spokeswomen with two marine agencies, Mote Marine Laboratory and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, were not sure when the whale would be killed.

"The difficulty with animals this big is that they're that big," said Mote spokeswoman Nadine Slimak. "You have to be extremely careful working around them."

Slimak said it would be more humane to euthanize the animal than let it die on its own. The whale beached itself Sunday night but made its way back to the water on Monday.

Biologists then attempted to move the animal to deeper water.

But the whale would not swim away.

Biologists have not been able to get close enough to the whale to determine if it's a male or female, how much it might weigh and what may be wrong with it.

There are no visible signs of trauma, such as bleeding, officials said.

"It's just floating there," Slimak said. "It's not doing any of its normal actions."

Washed-up whales are rare in Florida, but not unheard of. In 2003, a 20-foot female sperm whale beached itself in Collier County.

A 33-foot sperm whale washed ashore near Boca Grande in 2002.

Sperm whales have the largest brain of any animal - 17 pounds on average in mature males - and are the largest among toothed whales, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service.

Adult females may grow to lengths of 36 feet and weigh 15 tons.

Adult males can reach about 52 feet and weigh as much as 45 tons.

A sperm whale could live for more than 70 years, said NOAA biologist Laura Engleby.

By its size, the whale near Tampa Bay may be less than 15 years old, Engleby said.

"The whale's not in good condition," Engleby said. "We've tried for two days. The whale's becoming less and less responsive."

Biologists are not detailing the whale's specific location to prevent a rush of onlookers.

The whale generally has been drifting south from where it was first spotted near John's Pass, officials said.

Diane Daniels of Mason, Ohio, heard about the whale sighting Monday morning while watching TV.

She drove from her Treasure Island vacation condo to John's Pass hoping to see the whale for herself.

"I went out on the jetty, but I didn't see it," Daniels said.

Staff writer Donna Winchester contributed to this story.

[Last modified December 31, 2007, 21:20:28]