Current:Home > StocksEndangered whale filmed swimming with beachgoers dies after stranding on sandbar-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Endangered whale filmed swimming with beachgoers dies after stranding on sandbar
View Date:2024-12-23 19:09:27
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! (22747)
Related
- Oklahoma school district adding anti-harassment policies after nonbinary teen’s death
- Oprah Winfrey denies being paid $1M for Kamala Harris rally: 'I was not paid a dime'
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- NFL overreactions: New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys going nowhere after Week 10
- Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here’s how and why
- Angels sign Travis d'Arnaud: Former All-Star catcher gets multiyear contract in LA
- Mike Tyson-Jake Paul: How to watch the fight, time, odds
- Joey Graziadei Details Why Kelsey Anderson Took a Break From Social Media
- Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia Explains Why She’s Not Removing Tattoo of Ex Zach Bryan’s Lyrics
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight odds will shift the longer the heavyweight bout goes
Ranking
- US Election Darkens the Door of COP29 as It Opens in Azerbaijan
- Deommodore Lenoir contract details: 49ers ink DB to $92 million extension
- Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
- Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
- New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
- College Football Playoff ranking release: Army, Georgia lead winners and losers
- Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
- November 2024 full moon this week is a super moon and the beaver moon
Recommendation
-
Cruel Intentions' Brooke Lena Johnson Teases the Biggest Differences Between the Show and the 1999 Film
-
2 dead in explosion at Kentucky factory that also damaged surrounding neighborhood
-
Judge moves to slash $38 million verdict in New Hampshire youth center abuse case
-
Keke Palmer Says Ryan Murphy “Ripped” Into Her Over Scream Queens Schedule
-
DWTS’ Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten Have the Best Reaction to Fans Hoping for a Romance
-
Queen Elizabeth II's Final 5-Word Diary Entry Revealed
-
Roy Haynes, Grammy-winning jazz drummer, dies at 99: Reports
-
'Underbanked' households more likely to own crypto, FDIC report says