Florida marine scientists say it was too late to save a juvenile humpback whale that died after beaching itself in the Fort Pierce inlet.

The 25-foot whale was still alive when it was found by four fisherman flounder gigging around 10:30 p.m. Monday, TC Palm reports, but expired overnight. The species is endangered.

"Something must have been wrong for it to come to shore," Blair Mase, a federal marine mammal stranding coordinator, told TC Palm. "It was thin and in poor body condition."

According to WPTV, researchers from the Fish and Wildlife Commission and FAU marine programs suspect the whale had an infection, citing very little food in its stomach and a[...]

[Published in GreenNews - Read the original article]