During that time, I was coordinating with veterinarians and other groups around Florida to mobilize and get to the scene so that we could mount a response as humanely and quickly as possible for this whale, Mase told TCPalm Monday.
When the whale came ashore, it was extremely emaciated and had some rope around its lower jaw, Mase said. By the time veterinarians arrived, the animal had died.
Responders sometimes will euthanize a sick or dying whale, but it s a case-by-case basis and depends on whether the animal can be rehabilitated, according to NOAA.
Veternarians conducted a necropsy an autopsy for animals and took blood samples. A further inspection of the whale found more rope in its esophagus and stomach, Mase said. An investigation is underway to determine if that killed the animal.
Maldonado said the whale had a rope looped around its lower jaw. It looked emaciated, she said.
Herman s Bay is off State Road A1A, just north of the Martin County line.
According to oceanwide-expeditions.com, sperm whales will usually eat a little over 900 kilograms of food (about 2,000 pounds) a day. To find their prey, preferably giant squid, they usually dive somewhere between 300 and 1,200 meters (roughly 1,000 to 4,000 feet) and an average dive lasts about an hour.
The adult males are the only members of the sperm whale family that venture into the colder waters approaching the North and South Pole. The pods of females and young remain in tropical and temperate zones.