‘Very Rare’ Beaked Whale Found Dead In FL Keys: Organization

FLORIDA KEYS — A “very rare” beaked whale was found dead Sunday in the Florida Keys, Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder wrote in a Facebook post.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reached out to Steve McCulloch, the DPMMR’s standing coordinator, about unconfirmed reports of a live dolphin bleeding on the northwest sandbar of Tavernier Island.

He arrived at the sandbar by boat within minutes of receiving the call and found a large animal grounded in the shallow sand flats, the organization said.

He determined that the animal, which was dead, was actually a beaked whale, a species seldom seen outside of deep water.

The DPMMR team, working with FWC and the conservation team from Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards, are organizing a necropsy on the rare marine mammal to take measurements and samples and to determine the cause of death.

Anyone who sees a marine mammal in distress is asked to call 888-404-FWCC.