Sunburned whale drifts into busy Florida marina and dies. Experts try to find out why

A type of whale uncommon in waters off Southwest Florida found its way into a Collier County marina and quietly died among the passing boats.

It happened near Rose Marina on Marco Island and the whale is believed to be either a dwarf sperm whale or a pygmy sperm whale, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

The two species, similar in appearance, are commonly found in the North Atlantic and northern Gulf of Mexico, according to NOAA Fisheries.

It was discovered at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 7, in Factory Bay and reported as being “in distress” to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, officials said.

“The whale was in poor condition, thin, floating at the surface, (sunburned) and a significant distance from its normal habitat,” the institute told McClatchy News.

“During attempts for rescue, it unfortunately passed away. At that time, the carcass was unrecoverable, but biologists will return to the site in an attempt to recover the carcass and conduct a necropsy to determine the cause of death.”

Pygmy sperm whales live up to 23 years, and grow to 11.5 feet and 1,000 pounds, according to NOAA Fisheries. The dwarf sperm whale is smaller, growing to 9 feet and 600 pounds, NOAA says. They live to 22 years.

Both species have protected status and face threats from marine debris, vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglement, experts say.

They are also among the whales most commonly found stranded alive in the southeastern United States, NOAA says. However, experts say witnesses should never try to push them back into the sea, the institute says.

“If you see a marine mammal in distress, you should contact FWC immediately so trained professionals can assess the animal and give it the medical attention it may need,” the institute says.

The FWC Wildlife Alert hotline for reporting distressed marine mammals is 1-888-404-3922, and press 7 to speak with an operator.

Marco Island is about 180 miles southeast of Tampa.

This story was originally published June 9, 2023 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Sunburned whale drifts into busy Florida marina and dies. Experts try to find out why."