VENICE, Fla. — Deby Cassill, an associate biology professor at USF St. Petersburg, said she was saddened to see a sperm whale die after beaching itself Sunday in Venice.
“Most whales have social elements. They migrate to the same areas when there is food, depending on where food is. So, this is not only a loss for us as humans with this species that we care a lot about. But it’s a loss for the group and the population as well," said Cassill.
Cassill said there are many reasons whales end up beached.
According to her, because this one appears to have been emaciated, old age may have been a factor.
Disease is another possibility, along with the noise caused by man-made machines.
“Chronic boat engine noises. Submarines that do a lot of pinging can damage their inner ear. They lose the ability to determine their relationship in the water to gravity,” said Cassill.
Back in 2019, hundreds watched as volunteers came together to rescue five pilot whales on Reddington Beach.
Three of the whales were released back into the Gulf, while the other two spent time at a rehab facility operated by Clearwater Marine Aquarium before they were released.
And while that beaching had a positive ending, there could be something to learn from this latest case where the whale did not survive.
“I will say this older, emaciated whale presents us with a wonderful opportunity to go in the direction and necropsy phase and figure out what went wrong. Cause of death and the general health of this particular individual," said Cassill.
Cassill said sperm whales were hunted almost to extinction before being put on an endangered species list decades ago.
“They are a majestic species, and they have big hearts. Wonderful mothers to their young,” said Cassill.
