A sperm whale calf died after beaching itself in the northern Florida Keys last week. Six days later, an emaciated adult whale was found beached near Key West. A necropsy determined the calf likely died after becoming separated from its mother.
A calf died after beaching itself on Key Largo last Wednesday, said Blair Mase, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's southeast regional marine mammal stranding coordinator. Then an adult male, nearly 50 feet long, was found beached Tuesday night about 15 miles northeast of Key West. The remains were towed to a nearby marina early Wednesday morning.
"We're trying to gather as much information as we possibly can," Mase said. "We're really hoping it doesn’t become a trend."A necropsy on the calf determined it likely died from being separated from its mother, Mase said. Officials were still waiting for results to determine if the calf was carrying any disease.
Mase said officials typically record about two sperm whale strandings a year in the Gulf of Mexico, so two in a week is unusual. Sperm whales are normally found far away from land unless they are sick, Mase said.