Pets & Animals

Whale Calf Is Euthanized After Keys Stranding

ISLAMORADA (CBS4) ― A newborn sperm whale calf that was rescued after it beached itself near Islamorada died on Monday.

The calf was put down hours after it was rescued, but as CBS4's Natalia Zea shows us, the loss of this baby whale, which is on the endangered species list, could lead to something positive in the future.

It's rare for marine biologists to get this close to the endangered sperm whale, rarer still to be so close to a newborn. Sperm whale calves usually don't leave their mother's side until they're seven years old. This one was born less than a week ago.

Marine Mammal Conservancy President Robert Lingensfelder says the decision to euthanize the calf was made after an examination by a marine mammal veterinarian on Monday. The mammal was less then a week old and severely dehydrated.

Volunteers picked up the whale Monday afternoon after she became stranded in a cluster of mangroves on Peterson Key, near Islamorada. The nearest known pods of sperm whales are off the coast of West Palm Beach.

"Very unusual guys, especially way out in Everglades National Park," said Lingensfelder.

He led the team that rescued the whale and brought her back to the conservancy in a rental truck while they sprayed her with saltwater, but these experts quickly realized the calf cannot be saved. She hasn't eaten for days.

And they say the large amount of water she was blowing out of her blowhole showed she was sick and getting worse, especially without her mother to give her the specialized mile she needs. She wouldn't' be able to develop an immune system.

"We're going to humanely euthanize her because it's only going to get worse for her," said Lingensfelder.

But this calf's death will have one positive outcome. It will give us a better understanding of the endangered animal, and perhaps how to save other ones in the future.

"It's also important to do the science as well, learn what we can," he said.

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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