Current:Home > Contact-usEndangered whale filmed swimming with beachgoers dies after stranding on sandbar-VaTradeCoin
Endangered whale filmed swimming with beachgoers dies after stranding on sandbar
View Date:2025-01-07 14:08:31
An endangered whale that was filmed swimming with beachgoers near a Western Australia beach died after becoming stuck on a sandbar, officials said.
The elderly sperm whale was first seen on Saturday afternoon, and it beached itself on Monday, according to the BBC. Swimmers were seen interacting with the whale until experts warned of the danger such actions could pose to both the whale and the people.
On Tuesday morning, officials from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said that the 30-ton whale had died at around 6:30 a.m. local time. Mark Cugley, a spokesperson for the department, told reporters that the whale swam a short distance that morning, but the whale's respiration "gave us some signs it really was coming to the end."
Cugley said it's still not clear why the whale approached shore, but said its "health was not good" and said it exhibited concerning behaviors, like swimming in tight circles. The whale did not have any injuries or obvious disease, but there will be a necropsy performed once the whale is removed from the ocean.
"We don't really know why, it is very unusual, and some of the behaviors we saw even when it was first reported Saturday afternoon, it wasn't well," Cugley said.
After the whale died, its carcass was moved to a "more secure location in the water, away from the beach," officials from Western Australia's Parks and Wildlife Service said in a statement on social media, and crews stayed in the area overnight to make sure that people and boats stayed away from the whale. Cugley said the whale will be removed from the water and transported to a landfill by crane.
There was a vigil on shore Tuesday afternoon, officials said, with an indigenous group holding what officials called a smoking ceremony to "pay respects to the cultural significance of this whale stranding." The ceremony included "sharing whale dreaming stories, song and dance."
"We'd like to thank the traditional owners for sharing with us their knowledge and understanding of this event," parks and wildlife service officials said on social media.
Visitors to the beach are still being asked to stay out of the water. Cugley said that any prospective visitors to the area watch for potential beach closures or other disruptions as they work to remove the whale, in part to minimize shark risks, the BBC reported.
Though found in all deep oceans from the equator to the Arctic and Antarctic, sperm whales are endangered in Australia and most parts of the world. Whaling decimated sperm whale populations worldwide for centuries, but since a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, the species has started to recover, and its numbers are likely increasing, according to NOAA
- In:
- Oceans
- Australia
- Whales
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (5)
Related
- Man jailed after Tuskegee University shooting says he fired his gun, but denies shooting at anyone
- Shop the Best New June 2023 Beauty Launches From Vegamour, Glossier, Laneige & More
- A new bill in Florida would give the governor control of Disney's governing district
- Southwest's COO will tell senators 'we messed up' over the holiday travel meltdown
- Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
- Bebe Rexha Breaks Silence After Concertgoer Is Arrested for Throwing Phone at Her in NYC
- Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky arrested and charged with fraud
- FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill
- Democrat George Whitesides wins election to US House, beating incumbent Mike Garcia
- Beyoncé tour sales are off to a smoother start. What does that mean for Ticketmaster?
Ranking
- Colts' Kenny Moore II ridicules team's effort in loss to Bills
- Latest on Ukraine: EU just banned Russian diesel and other oil products (Feb. 6)
- Tesla slashed its prices across the board. We're now starting to see the consequences
- Texas woman fatally shot in head during road rage incident
- Today's Craig Melvin Replacing Hoda Kotb: Everything to Know About the Beloved Anchor
- Meagan Good Supports Boyfriend Jonathan Majors at Court Appearance in Assault Case
- Allow Margot Robbie to Give You a Tour of Barbie's Dream House
- How Asia's ex-richest man lost nearly $50 billion in just over a week
Recommendation
-
Blake Snell free agent rumors: Best fits for two-time Cy Young winner
-
Study: Commuting has an upside and remote workers may be missing out
-
In a Summer of Deadly Deluges, New Research Shows How Global Warming Fuels Flooding
-
Blackjewel’s Bankruptcy Filing Is a Harbinger of Trouble Ahead for the Plummeting Coal Industry
-
The 10 Best Cashmere Sweaters and Tops That Feel Luxuriously Soft and Are *Most Importantly* Affordable
-
TikTok officials go on a public charm offensive amid a stalemate in Biden White House
-
Britney Spears Says She Visited With Sister Jamie Lynn Spears After Rocky Relationship
-
You Can't Help Falling in Love With Jacob Elordi as Elvis in Priscilla Biopic Poster