[Update: Jan. 18, 11:52 a.m.]: The Pygmy sperm whale found earlier today, Jan. 18, at Zuma Beach was euthanized, per CWC Executive Director Jennifer Brent.
“We were advised by experienced veterinarians at Sea World in cooperation with NOAA that this species does not fare well in rehabilitation and combined with other problems (chronic wounds, diarrhea, blindness…) the decision was made to euthanize,” she wrote in an email to The Malibu Times.Â
The body of the whale will be picked up today for testing at the Natural History Museum.
A Pygmy sperm whale was found on the shore at Zuma Beach earlier this morning, Jan. 18. It is not clear how long the whale was beached, though the LA County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division, social media indicates the incident was reported around 7:46 a.m.
The lifeguards and the California Wildlife Center are currently monitoring the whale.
In an email to The Malibu Times, CWC Executive Director Jennifer Brent said, ” … our vet Dr. Stephany Lewis [is] determining the next best course of action as, of course, we are not equipped to rehab a whale here.”
As for the whale’s condition, Brent said it was too early to diagnose whether it was ill. (Though she did mention that “generally speaking healthy animals do not strand themselves on the beach.”)
“It’s the second Pygmy sperm whale that we’ve had in six months, which is highly unusual,” she wrote.
