Dwarf sperm whale tries to give birth, dies at Florida state park

A dwarf sperm whale beached itself at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park and died last week, a recent Naples Daily News article reports. The whale had an enlarged heart, which is apparently common with this species, and on top of that was trying to give birth. The whale calf was premature, and both whales died.

The article says beachgoers tried to help the whale but that a NOAA biologist said it's best for onlookers to leave stranded animals alone and to call for help (888-404-3922) instead. I personally wouldn't know how to help a whale or any other marine animal! But I can certainly understand people having a desire to help. I guess it's still best to leave a whale rescue to the experts (who basically said in the article there was nothing that could have been done).

photo by NOAA