Young sperm whale found stranded in strong tides on Outer Banks. Rescuers can’t help

A young member of one of the world’s largest species got stranded on an Outer Banks beach.

But rescuers couldn’t save it.

A juvenile sperm whale was spotted near Jennette’s Pier on North Carolina’s coast the morning of Dec. 27, the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island said in a news release.

The OBX Marine Mammal Stranding Network responded to Nags Head to find the animal rolling in the surf.

The whale had washed up in the swash zone, the part of the beach where the surf breaks. Rescuers made the call that it was unsafe to try to help the animal and waited until low tide to determine a course of action.

That’s when they decided to euthanize the animal.

“Unfortunately, these single marine mammal strandings indicate that the animal’s health is rapidly declining,” rescuers said in a later news release. “Because rehabilitation for many large species is difficult or impossible, the best course of action is humane euthanasia.”

Marine experts from Virginia and North Carolina will examine the whale Dec. 28. A necropsy will be conducted to determine the cause of the stranding.

Sperm whales are one of the largest animals on the planet, weighing up to 90,000 pounds and reaching nearly 52 feet in length, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. They are found in oceans across the world and feed on prey such as fish and squid.

The species experienced population decline from commercial whaling and is now protected under the Endangered Species Act.

This story was originally published December 27, 2023 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Young sperm whale found stranded in strong tides on Outer Banks. Rescuers can’t help."