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A whale washed up on the south end of Garden City Beach on Monday evening.
The whale, later determined to be an approximately eight-foot Dwarf sperm whale, was reported to have been thrashing in the surf when the Lowcounty Marine Mammal Network received a call. The public pushed the whale back in the water, and it returned deceased about an hour later, according to a Facebook post.
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The whale was picked up Tuesday morning and a necropsy, a post-mortem examination for animals, was performed, Executive Director of the Lowcounty Marine Mammal Network Lauren Rust told The Sun News.
The necropsy found the whale was pregnant when it washed ashore, and the baby died with the whale. A cause of death has not yet been determined based on gross sightings, Rust said, but pathology results will be available in a few weeks.
What to do if you see a beached whale
Rust said these particular species are not able to be rehabilitated when they are beached, but it would save the animal from suffering if experts are called immediately.
“I don’t think this animal died because these people pushed it back into the water,” Rust said. “I think it’s just important for people in general to know to call and allow experts to come see it in any scenario.”
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Dwarf sperm whales are the second most commonly stranded marine mammal in South Carolina, after the bottlenose dolphin. Typically deep divers 100 miles offshore, these whales are likely sick or injured when stranded on the beach, Rust said.
These species are most commonly found stranded in the northern part of the state due to the geography of the coast, Rust said. A pygmy sperm whale washed onshore in Myrtle Beach State Park in 2023.
If a marine animal is seen stranded, call South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ stranding team at 1-800-922-5431.
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