Whale dies during rescue attempt in Rose Marina on Marco Island

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a whale found in distress in Rose Marina on Marco Island has died.

Boaters found the whale struggling in the marina Wednesday morning.

The whale was identified as either a dwarf sperm whale or a pygmy sperm whale.

Biologists with FWC, Mote Marine and Marco Island Police Department were actively trying the assist the whale for hours.

“When you see an animal, let alone a marine mammal in distress like that,” said an onlooker, “it’s exciting to see something different like that because you’re not gonna get a chance to usually see an animal that close, of that species, but, on the other hand, it’s very sad.”

The FWC said a biologist will return to the site and attempt to recover the carcass, but they were not sure how long it would take.

The whale’s body is not recoverable right now.

“Just saw it surfacing, saw the small dorsal fin; it seems like a young whale, darkened color coming up to the surface and just seems like it’s confused and maybe not sure where it’s at,” said Erick Berger, who works at the marina and saw the whale. “This is not from what I saw, but I would assume that if it’s stuck in here, and it’s not really moving around too much, that it’s probably injured somehow, some way.”

FWC said that a necropsy will be done to determine the cause of death.

If you see a marine mammal in distress, you should contact Florida Fish and Wildlife immediately.