PALM COAST, FL – A 21-foot orca whale died on Wednesday morning after beaching itself in Palm Coast,
A video shows the marine mammal washed ashore, unresponsive, with waves crashing over it.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook there were no obvious signs of trauma on the body.
On Wednesday, law enforcement were asking people to avoid the area about 30 miles north of Daytona Beach.
Marine biologists from SeaWorld and officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were assisting with the whale’s necropsy and removal.
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Many Facebook users expressed their sadness at the situation, and surprise at seeing the whale in Flagler County.
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are more abundant in colder waters like Antarctica, Norway and Alaska, but are also found in tropical and subtropical waters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries division.
Shortly before noon, FCSO posted that crews from Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and the Flagler County Government were working to move the orca.
Photos showed straps tied around the whale with over a dozen people working to pull it out of the ocean.
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Orcas can weigh up to 11 tons, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Contact reporter Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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