A 21-foot killer whale died Wednesday morning after stranding in northeast Florida in what experts call “very rare”.
Video of the incident in Palm Coast, Fla., was shared Wednesday and showed waves crashing over the unresponsive, lifeless animal before more than a dozen people were called to help transport the animal’s carcass.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official said it was the first-ever incident in which an orca died after becoming stranded on the U.S. southeast coast, describing the event as “a truly unique situation.”
The cause of the whale’s death is currently unknown.
It took more than a dozen people to remove the killer whale from the beach
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, which first shared the news of the stranded whale, told a local outlet there were no obvious signs of trauma to the whale’s body.
SeaWorld marine biologists and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials helped remove the whale and will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Photos released by the local sheriff’s office show more than a dozen officers at the scene using harnesses and a makeshift stretcher to transport the animal.
“Deputies are on the scene south of Jungle Hut Park in Palm Coast after a 21ft orca whale beached this morning. It has since lost its life,” the sheriff’s office said in a post Wednesday morning.
Jungle Hut Road, where the incident took place, was closed for hours after crowds gathered to witness the commotion.
Officials say they are using the “truly unique” situation as an opportunity to learn.
Video of the Palm Coast, Fla., incident was shared Wednesday and showed waves crashing over the unresponsive, lifeless animal
Thousands have responded to and commented on the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office posts
Killer whales in the southeastern region, which includes North Carolina to Texas, are rare. Officials say there are fewer than 270 whales in the Gulf of Mexico, too.
The rarity has prompted a “full investigation” into the incident, an expert told the Daytona Beach News Journal.
“We will conduct a full investigation into what may have caused this animal to become stranded, or if it is ill, what may have caused it,” said Erin Fougeres, administrator of the Marine Mammal Stranding Program for NOAA’s Southeast region .
Fougeres noted that the marine organization only knows of 14,000 whales in the “broader North Atlantic,” which stretches from Canada to the Faroe Islands north of Europe.
“We know they’re out there, but they’re very rare in our waters,” she continued.
Orcas are traditionally found in colder waters, closer to Antarctica, Alaska and Norway.
“We’re committed to learning as much as we can about this whale and the species, and we really rely on the public to report these events as they happen,” Fougeres said.
“We know they’re out there, but they’re very rare in our waters,” a marine official said
The cause of death for the orca has yet to be determined
There are only 14,000 whales in the “broader North Atlantic”, which stretches from Canada to the Faroe Islands north of Europe
According to the wildlife official, some of the most common threats to the cetacean species include entanglement in fishing gear, ship attacks, pollutants, ship noise and overfishing.
However, the death of the 21-foot orca in Palm Coast remains a mystery.
Fougeres said they would take the animal’s carcass to SeaWorld for further examination.
The aim is to transport the animal quickly to collect and analyze samples when they are still fresh.
It took a forklift to transfer the orca onto a SeaWorld truck. The animal is going to SeaWorld for an autopsy
Images shared by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday show the animal being lifted into the back of a SeaWorld truck with a forklift.
Several people are seen helping to navigate the animal’s corpse.
Facebook users who found the photos and videos expressed their sadness and shock at the incident, leaving thousands of comments on the social media posts.
“I didn’t know orcas came this far south,” one person wrote.
“Oh my god… such a beautiful whale! So sad,” wrote another.
“Oh how sad…I know every living being has a timeline, but it’s still very sad…” said one woman.