VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A pygmy sperm whale was euthanized Saturday after it washed up along the shore in the Virginia Beach Oceanfront area, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center confirmed.
Video provided by 13News Now viewer James Catledge shows several beachgoers wade through the water in an attempt to push the animal back into the ocean. Marine officials advise against this as it can be unsafe for people and makes it difficult to determined the mammal's health.
Police responded to the scene to keep bystanders away from the whale until the aquarium's stranding team could arrive. The whale was within the surf when the team arrived.
Marine officials "stretchered" the animal before moving her out of the surf and onto the beach, so the veterinarian could determine its health. The whale was ultimately put under sedation and euthanized on the beach, according to a spokesperson for the aquarium.
A full post-mortem exam of the whale is scheduled for later this week.
Pygmy sperm whales, which are also called toothed whales, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.