Injured pygmy sperm whale euthanized on Florida beach

FORT WALTON, Fla. (AP) - Wildlife officials say an injured pygmy sperm whale has been euthanized on a Florida beach.

The Northwest Florida Daily News reports that the whale was spotted Wednesday morning on Blue Mountain Beach in the Florida Panhandle.

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Director Carol Anderson says their marine mammal stranding team responded following a call from a member of the public. State wildlife officers and lifeguards were trying to help the animal.

Anderson says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made the call to euthanize the whale. She says the animal was obviously not doing well and chose to strand itself.

A necropsy will be performed to determine what caused the whale to beach itself.

Pygmy sperm whales are usually found in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Adults can grow up to 11 feet (3 meters) long.

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Information from: Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.), http://www.nwfdailynews.com