Pilot whale beaching along Pelican Bay prompts questions about strandings

PELICAN BAY, Fla. —

Kimberly Tronoski was walking along the beach near Pelican Bay when something unusual caught her eye — a stranded short-tailed pilot whale resting helplessly on the sand.

"I've been coming to Naples for 35 years, and I've never seen anything like that," said Tronoski. "It just seemed weak. It wasn't fighting against the humans at all when they were holding it. It wasn't thrashing around. It was just still."

Video shows deputies and wildlife officers working to save the 9-foot whale on Monday.

"When the team of experts arrived, they set up a tent to cover the whale, so it wasn't getting direct sunlight on it, and they wrapped it in towels," said Tronoski.

Despite their efforts, wildlife officials said they had to euthanize the whale because of its poor condition.

Matt DePaolis with Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation says strandings typically happen when a whale is already in distress.

"It could be more of a directed impact on this one animal. So something like a boat strike or an illness, or something it consumed that led to these conditions," said DePaolis.

DePaolis says whales usually travel in pods and are known for mass beachings. When a single whale washes ashore, it could mean it was left behind.

"It could just be the case that an animal's getting weak. It's not really thinking about where it's swimming. It's not swimming in a directed area. The tides will then carry it closer and closer to shore until it finally ends up on the beach," said DePaolis.

Depaolis says every large whale stranding is unique and brings its own set of challenges, so it's important to let wildlife officers handle it if you spot a stranded animal.

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