Beached Sperm Whale Dies While Stranded Near Venice Beach

VENICE BEACH, FL — A beached 70,000-pound sperm male whale stranded over the weekend died Monday near Venice Beach, according to the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

The 44-foot whale was first spotted at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, when the aquarium said it was notified of the distressed animal. Officials said the whale died on its own.

By noon Monday, officials had moved the large whale onto the beach using a heavy excavator.

A necropsy and animal autopsy were scheduled for Monday morning, when samples were set to be collected to determine a cause of illness and death, aquarium officials said. Once the necropsy is complete, officials said the whale will be towed offshore to be returned to sea.

After the discovery of the whale, officials said the Stranding Network and its partners attempted a rescue, although harsh wave conditions and unpredictable animal behavior made the attempt challenging.

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"Mote first received a call at about 8:30 a.m. this morning of the live, stranded animal. Large whales may strand alive for a number of reasons. Each case is different and the Southeast Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network responds to all large whale cases to better understand what factors may have contributed to the stranding," officials said in a news release.

Additionally, officials said, "towing live whales by the tail can result in seriously injuring or dislocating the tail, causing paralysis and is therefore considered inhumane."

Rescuers tried to close to the whale by boat, but severe weather conditions interfered with the attempt, officials said. The recovery effort was suspended at 6 p.m. Sunday after conditions did not improve.

Venice Police stood guard overnight, officials said.