Pygmy killer whales, restored to health, are back in their wild home
Two pygmy killer whales that spent almost a year recuperating in Gulfport have found a new home in the Gulf of Mexico.
Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, said the male whales that were released back into the Gulf last week near Pensacola have traveled about 200 miles west and have been located in the Mississippi Canyon off Grand Isle, Louisiana.
The whales were discovered in the Mississippi Sound near Waveland in September.
Solangi said the whales, which are actually a species of dolphin, were in critical condition when they were found.
He said this is one of the only known cases of pygmy killer whales surviving in captivity.
The whales were tagged and their movements have been tracked by a satellite.
Solangi said they will continue to monitor the whales until the batteries die in the tagging devices.
Jeff Clark: 228-896-2329, @thejeffclark
This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Pygmy killer whales, restored to health, are back in their wild home."