FWC: Beached pilot whale to be euthanized due to poor condition

NAPLES, Fla.—The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are tending to a beached pilot whale on a Naples beach.

WINK Weather Watcher Tom Pilecki shared photos and video on Monday of law enforcement helping the helpless animal.

Upon arrival at the scene, FWC officials stated that due to its poor condition, the whale would be euthanized. A necropsy is planned depending on staff availability and if there are other standings or rescues throughout the state. 

According to FWC, if a necropsy was to be conducted, then a cause of death would be determined; however, the results can sometimes be inconclusive.

According to the International Whaling Commission, pilot whales earned their names because it was once believed that each observed group was navigated by a pilot or leader.

Their Latin name, “Globicephala,” translates to ‘round head,’ one of the main identifying features of the species.