The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is investigating the death of a 21-foot female killer whale that washed ashore on a beach in Palm Coast on Wednesday morning.
Deputies responded to the scene south of Jungle Hut Park in Palm Coast and discovered the orca stranded on the beach. Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows the orca lying lifeless on the beach.
Erin Fougeres, the Marine Mammal Stranding Program administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Region, said this is the first killer whale stranding in the Southeast US. She said the public reported the orca at around first light on Wednesday morning.
Fougeres said they are trying to sample the orca extensively and try to determine why it might have been sick and why it stranded. She said they are also looking into the decline of orcas in the region.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to avoid the area at this time. They are continuing to investigate the death of the orca and will provide updates as they become available.
Key takeaways:
- Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is investigating the death of a 21-foot female killer whale that washed ashore on a beach in Palm Coast
- Erin Fougeres, the Marine Mammal Stranding Program administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Region, said this is the first killer whale stranding in the Southeast US
- Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to avoid the area at this time and continuing to investigate the death of the orca
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