HOMESTEAD, FL. (THECOUNT) — A rare whale was found dead in the waters of Florida’s Everglades National Park.
The mysterious death of the young adult Bryde whale (pronounced BROO-dus,) follows the deaths of eight dolphins found dead on Florida’s southwest coast during the government shutdown
|
Advertisement |
Park officials said the carcass of the 38 foot whale, weighing in a nearly 30 tons, was recovered on Wednesday and transported for inspection.
Federal Marine Mammal Stranding Network experts performed a necropsy, but it wasn’t clear what caused the whale’s death, reports NBC-2.
Bryde’s whales are the only year-round resident baleen whale in the Gulf of Mexico. They are named for Norwegian whaler Johan Bryde, who helped build the first whaling stations in South Africa in the early 1900s.
Federal scientists would have responded to investigate the recent dolphin deaths but were furloughed during the government shutdown. Forty-two other dolphins were found dead in the same waters in late November.
#Smithsonian interested in Bryde’s whale skeleton. Tissue samples will be tested to assess health and hopefully cause of death. May be weeks/months before we know more, but we’ll share what we learn. Science in action in our #NationalParks! pic.twitter.com/90To3sm7vc
— Everglades National Park (@EvergladesNPS) February 2, 2019
Geo quick facts: Homestead is a city within Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida, between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area – Wikipedia.
Developing.