CLEARWATER, Fla. — A stranded, juvenile whale is now dead after it was discovered near the shores of Clearwater Beach.
According to officials from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, they received calls from local law enforcement around 8:30 Tuesday night about a six-foot female whale that was in the waves about 30 feet offshore.
CMA says the animal was found disoriented and struggling. The organization was reportedly in contact with NOAA as they were trying to take care of it.
"We did everything we could to control the environment so that it could breathe easier - minimize noise, minimize movement and lights (some bystanders had flashlights)," Marsha Strickhouser with Clearwater Marine Aquarium, said in a statement to 10 Tampa Bay.
The whale stranded two more times, both near Frenchy's Rockaway Grill.
Officials then decided to get the animal on a stretcher and put it inside a rescue truck where it was given sedatives and later passed away.
In a post on "The Beaches! Indian Rocks to Pass-A-Grille and Clearwater Beach" Facebook group, video shows bystanders trying to push the whale back towards the water.
CMA officials want to remind the public that if they see stranded marine life, they should call them at (727)-441-1790. Beachgoers should never touch a beached animal or attempt to push it back into the water.
"These animals strand for a reason, and although the public really wants to help, they could be putting the animal through more suffering and stress," Strickhouser explained.
A necropsy will be done to find out what led to the whale's death.
