11 March 2024 , 00:24
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Authorities were attempting to help a sperm whale that had washed up on a sandbar off the coast of Florida on Sunday, but they were unable to do so due to unsafe water conditions.
The Venice Police Department said in posts on Facebook that the whale was alive on Sunday afternoon after it had beached on a sandbar about 50 yards (45 metres) from Service Club Park.
A perimeter had been set up to allow authorities to assess the whale’s condition at the site in Venice, about 75 miles (120 kilometres) south of Tampa. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and staff from Mote Marine Laboratory were assisting, the police department said in an initial post.
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A perimeter had been set up to allow authorities to assess the whale’s condition at the site in Venice (mainematthew/Tiktok)An afternoon post by Venice police said officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considered the water conditions still too dangerous to approach the whale, which was estimated to be about 50 feet (15 metres) long. A police Facebook post earlier Sunday had said the whale was 70 feet (21 metres) long.
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Police said authorities would make another assessment of conditions at low tide Sunday evening but that hopes of aiding the whale were dwindling. “Unfortunately it appears this will likely be a recovery effort as nature takes its course,” the post said. Police said they would be present at the beach through the night.
As cops were waiting for water conditions to improve, the whale's survival rate dwindled (COURTESY OF TAMZIN HENDERSON/AFP)In December, A dead whale washed ashore on a Kent, UK, beach, prompting local authorities to close the area off to the public. The Port of London Authority (PLA) reported that a young female fin whale washed up on the coast in Cliffe, which is close to Rochester.
The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world, with fin whales coming in second. The mudflats along the rocky shoreline, restricted road access, and Storm Gerrit hindered the PLA's attempts to retrieve the carcass.
In a statement, PLA said: “The removal of a buoy also set back our ability to retrieve the whale on Friday. Weather conditions appear likely to improve early next week.” Additionally, the scientists emphasised that the carcass might contain "harmful bacteria" and advised people to stay away from it.
“Our Marine Services team is working to determine the safest way to remove the carcass,” the statement added. The animal was initially believed to be an adult mink whale, but the PLA later clarified: "Images posted to social media have helped confirm the whale is a juvenile female fin whale, not a minke whale, according to the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme."
A 16-metre fin whale washed up on a beach in Cornwall one month prior. Rob Barber, a watersports instructor, discovered the creature on Fistral Beach as he was assessing the surfing conditions at dawn light.