Gulf World Marine Institute News Sperm Whale Stranding on Shell Island – the Aftermath Around 6 pm on Sunday, June 6, 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries marine mammal stranding hotline confirmed a report of a live stranded sperm whale on Shell Island in Panama City Beach, Florida. The animal was very emaciated (in poor body condition), and passed away overnight before responders with Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) were able to respond early on Monday, June 7. Arrangements were made to tow the animal to a secure location on Tyndall Air Force Base about 6 miles away. On Tuesday, June 8, a full necropsy (post-death examination) was performed to try and learn more about why this animal stranded. Sperm whale strandings, while not unheard of in the Gulf of Mexico, are rare, and each event is unique, challenging, and an important opportunity to learn more about this endangered species and health of their population. The whale, a 29 ft female, showed evidence of being dehydrated, and appeared to have not fed recently, both of which indicate malnourishment. This would have made the whale very weak, and did contribute to the stranding event. The reason for the animal’s condition was not able to be determined upon initial examination; however, full necropsies allow for extensive sample collection, and those samples will be sent off to various partner laboratories for further analyses. It can take weeks to months for results of these analyses to return; any information learned contributes to the understanding of this endangered species. The carcass was towed offshore on Wednesday, June 9. This immense response could not have been accomplished without the help of many individuals and organizations. GWMI would like to send a big thank you to NOAA Fisheries Service, MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife, FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Tyndall Air Force Base Tyndall Air Force Base Natural Resources Division, Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, University of Florida Marine Animal Rescue, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, and the #GWMI volunteers who assisted, and finally the Panama City Dive Center for relocating this carcass twice. All marine mammal stranding response activities are conducted under a Stranding Agreement with NMFS. When marine mammals wash ashore, please remember to not push them back into the water, and to instead call the local rescue authorities. In Florida you can either call 1-888-404-3922 for FWC’s wildlife alert hotline or dial 1-877-942-5343 for NOAA’s marine mammal hotline. [ATTACH type="full"]89589[/ATTACH]
