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A sperm whale that was drifting off an eastern Florida shore on Sunday has died, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The agency now plans to look into a report from a resident of Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, who said she saw the whale alive earlier in the day and saw one of two swimmers get on top of the whale, NOAA said.
"This whale was likely ill or injured and that is why it came in so close to shore," said Blair Mase, NOAA's southeast regional stranding coordinator. "This type of harassment could have caused more harm and added stress to an already stressed whale and ultimately caused its demise."
It is a federal offense to harass a marine mammal, Mase said.
"People need to be aware that they shouldn't do that," she said.
Sperm whales, the largest of the toothed whales, also are an endangered species, she said.
Read more news on NBCMiami.com
Marine scientist Stefan Harzen said it's possible a boat struck the whale or something simply made the whale sick.
"There's really very little you can do for a whale if it gets seriously ill or injured," he said.
On its 'last leg'
The witness, Margie Casey, 49, told NBC 6 that she saw two swimmers twice go up to the whale Sunday morning. She said she watched them from her fifth-floor balcony and snapped photos of one swimmer getting on the whale.
Casey said the whale at the time was drifting north along the shore, just south of a stretch of beach near the Northeast 14th Street Causeway.
Casey said she considered the whale to be alive, because it was flapping its tail at the time. Perhaps the whale was on its "last leg," she said. "So sad."
About 11:45 a.m., bystanders reported the whale was about 40 feet from the shore, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright.
A marine mammal rescue team, the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded.
US sued over Navy sonar tests in whale waters
Before it was announced the whale had died, beachgoers said they hoped the whale would survive.
"I think it's totally amazing, man," said Brad Schwab. "It looks like they're trying to keep him out in the open sea."
Beachgoer Dennis Cooper added, "I guess everybody's concerned about the health of the whale and everybody's trying to save it."
Christina Coniglio, who was also on the beach, said she suspected that pollution contributed to the whale's illness.
"The environment is so dirty," she said. "When the whales go and eat all those plastics and bottles and things we throw in the sea, they get sick and this is what happens."
The whale had been coming close to shore while rip currents kept pulling it back out, Coleman-Wright said. When officials arrived, a specialist went into the water and determined the species that died was a sperm whale, Mase said.
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Leave a Comment:
What can i say on this one other than what an idiot.
Whether the swimmer had anything to do with the death or not, that was just plain stupid. Whales are not our personal recreational vehicles.
Thank God the whale died close to shore. Just think of how many homes it will heat.
Thank God you were here to remind us all of the importance of birth control.
The swimmer will have a lifetime to enjoy the photos of him killing the sick whale.
I guess these two idiots that were harassing this whale did not learn anything from the case of the woman who was fined for riding a manatee. Some people just do not seem to get it that you should not harass marine mammals. This is illegal and that fact has been highly publicized on numerous occasions. Maybe we need to start putting these idiots in jail for a little while, say maybe 30 or 60 days, to get the point across. If they are working they can serve their time on the weekends so that they do not end up losing their jobs and sucking money from the government.
But it's ok for other animals to be our personal recreational vehicles? I don't see where we draw the line and say it's ok to ride horses, camels and such but not other large beasts. Should we not treat them all the same?
People like that deserve to be eaten by sharks
Horses and camels are domesticated animals, that's why it's ok to ride them. Same as having dogs as pets.
The only idiots that should be "eaten by sharks" are those that think a guy should be locked up for getting on top of a friggin fish in the ocean. This lunancy of assigning a moral-ethical equality of fish, animals, and even mice to that of human beings is evidence of the total lack of common sense in much of the world. As for those that feel "upset" by humans riding horses, camels etc. - do us all a favor, go ride a Great White Shark.
People pay big bucks to "swim with the dolphins", but now everyone is upset because a swimmer swam with the whale?! You know, this whale was obviously sick and dying, and every single whale WILL die at some point. No animal lives forever. Yet somehow, whenever we humans see something die, we assume that someone must have killed it. Perhaps it was just it's time, and it just died. Leave the poor swimmer alone and let the whale rest in peace.... no harm, no foul.
Given: Riding the whale was stupid.
BUT - it's a LONG stretch to say that the rider may have "ultimately caused its demise." Really, a healthy whale can withstand assault by orcas and dive to extreme depths, but one swimmer may have killed it?
Maybe the whale saw the flash from the picture being taken and had a heart attack. We should jail the person who took the picture, too.
do you actually think someone on the back of a giant whale will kill it? i know animal right people are stupid, but i didn't know they were this stupid.
JK-4363698...seriously??? riding a whale kills it??? The Japanese kill and EAT hundreds of whales a year...go spew about them....
JP-345944 -- I have news for you--a whale is NOT a big fish, it's a marine MAMMAL.
I'm not too sure if the whale wouldn't have been too far gone before the swimmer got to it. But you really have to be flippin' STUPID to go anywhere near an animal that is sick and potentially dying; particularly a carnivore that size - way too many "what ifs":
What if it get violent? Does any person really think they have a chance in a physical matchup between themselves and an angry, defensive sperm whale? An animal that size could tear a human in half just as the result of a reflex.
What if it has some horrible illness or exposure to some horrible toxin that could be transmitted by touch to you?
If they catch these idiots one can only hope that they are castrated so they don't breed and infect the gene pool.
Maybe these two future Darwin Award candidates were simply looking to remove Kramer's golf ball from the giant beast's blowhole?
Lisa, Science, facts, and logic? There's no place for that on the vine :-)
Seriously, did they really put that in a "news" article? Speculation from somebody sitting on the beach? What, didn't they have the time to call in an expert before putting this up on their website in a rush to be the first to report? I swear, there is no such thing as professional journalism anymore.
Hahahaha--hi Julie--hahahahah-yep, you have a point there !!;-) I guess it would be totally lost on him If I explained that whales--those huge marine mammals, are also pretty high up on the sentience continuum.......
"Riding" or harassing a wild animal in obvious distress was thoughtless and cruel. Had the animal been healthy, there's no way these people would have gotten near it, and if they had, just a flip of the tail could have killed them. When will people learn to leave the wildlife alone?
Hey sparklystar,
Yes, this IS what goes for professionalism these days, and don't you dare question what you are told. Who do you think you are anyway? A thinking, rational, logical being?
The people trying to ride it might not have been the reason the whale was sick and (probably) dying anyway, but of course they played a part. It doesn't matter how big or heavy it was, something stressing you out when you are not feeling well (and in this case dying) will exacerbate your problems and make them worse. Especially when you're a whale who is not used to human contact and doesn't have any idea what the hell is going on. The poor thing probably felt like it was being attacked and didn't have the energy or strength to fight them off!
A lot of you are completely missing the point - I can't tell if your IQ levels are that low or is you're just not reading the article. The whale was sick - that is the point. The dying animal should have been respectfully left in peace, not harassed. This is not the same as riding a horse, a domesticated animal trained to be ridden. This is not the same as swimming with dolphins, healthy animals often bred in captivity and well-socialized. No one even said he killed it. This is the harassing and stressing of a dying wild animal.
Have a feeling those 2 arent the highly educated caring sort.
Well this is a Gulf of Mexico whale. Maybe it died from whale cancer caused by ingesting BP's corexit/oil leavings.
To catch this guy, I bet the police just need to search Facebook for the idiot bragging about riding a whale.
BRUCE....when you are laying on your death bed and moaning in pain......let's lay some guy on top of you and pull on your hair and say getty up....I'm sure you will enjoy that as you take your final breath on earth.
WHOLLY MOLARS.....the whale wasn't healthy...it was dying, that's why it was close to shore...read the article...
Between comments from insensitive people such as yourselves...I can see why wild animals are threatened from extinction.
I'm just glad that the orcas and sharks were nice enough not to disturb it. That added stress plus the pollution that Christina Coniglio so wisely discussed probably would have caused instant death.
Don't these things fight giant squids?
OK, so which is it?
I remember years ago while fishing up in Northern Minnesota with my Father. We heard a huge splash and couldn't figure out what made it. Then around an island comes what appears to be a large swan. As it got closer it turned out to be the head of a cow moose. It was swimming across the lake. Out of nowhere a bunch of guys in a rubber raft pulled up along side it and a guy jumped out of the boat and on to the moose's back. I think he road it into shore but got off before the water got to shallow. Stupid and mean yes but I don't know too many people who've ridden a moose. Who knows. Maybe one of those guys was a marine biologist looking for a golf ball in his blow hole? :)
Anybody that think that whale died because of a swimmer on its back is an idiot.
Not smart, tho. The whale could have killed that guy with one swat of his tail.
Lenny12 banned for death wishing.
People are idiots.
Not impressed with the human species.
Not too smart to rely on the toothed whale to know you (the swimmer) from a squid. skate, rays etc in other words food.
JP-345944 - a whale is a mammal, not a fish. Guess you missed science class the day they discussed that in elementary school.
Remember...it's better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. Get someone who is a few points higher on the I.Q. scale to explain that to you.
So many morons.
Swimming around a sperm whale, and climbing on it - how stupid can a person get?
A sperm whale, even a sick one, could easily bite a man in half - too bad this one was too ill to defend itself.
do you actually think someone on the back of a giant whale will kill it? i know animal right people are stupid, but i didn't know they were this stupid.
Jenny, maybe the next time you or someone in your family is really sick, people could come around and poke at you. It probably won't kill you after all.
Jenny.....you have no idea how "really" stupid people are. I strongly encourage you to investigate....it's a brave new world.
Who is stupid Jenny? Apparently you. We'll just call it ignorant. Wild animals are not people. They don't react to stressors like we do. Ever hear of a horse falling into a ditch and has no major injuries, but dies anyway? Most likely the swimmers/idiots didn't kill the whale, but in it's sickly/injured state, that last amount of added stress of these fools climbing on it might have pushed it over the edge. Try to gain some respect for living things and the people that try to protect them. Next time you're really sick with a virus, have someone climb on you repeatedly for a ride.
Jenny - Keep talking, go ahead and show the "animal rights people" just how stupid YOU are. No one said he killed it. He harassed a sick and dying animal. Do you think if it was healthy he would've been able to climb on top of it? It would've killed him or swam away. Please use some common sense. Oh, and maybe when you're on your deathbed one day, some people can come climb on you and harass you in your final hours, since its no big deal.
crab nebula,
Or.... It was possibly the two 15 foot great whites circling below looking for the best place to make their first bite? The two fellers in the wetsuits were much more of a stressors than the two sets of jaws circling beneath them.
Get real people, like a 200 pound man riding a whale will kill it. All you "do-gooders" probably do a lot worse in life.
Whale has a blow hole on its back through which it breathes. If swimmer sat on it weak whale was doomed. It is if somebody sat on your face and gagged your nose and mouth with their wet trunks.
Tuchin--or PERHAPS the person thought that maybe the whale's blow hole had gotten clogged with sand from the shallows, and wanted to see if he could clear it>
Just sayin.
I agree with Pizza & Wings. While it was the wrong thing to do, I doubt seriously that it contributed to this whales death. The fact that they were able to approach so closely is a probable sign of how sick the whale was.
Yeah, I'm sure it didn't kill the whale but may have added stress.
When whales are sick and dying, they come close to the shore to breathe. They cannot keep going up for air (too weak) way out in the ocean so they naturally beach themselves in an effort to breathe.
Nature...
@pizza&wings - you stated the obvious but missed the point....better refuel with some more pizza and wings
"do gooder" is code for anyone that cares about something you don't.
Pizza, in cases of serious illness and injury there is usually a tipping point beyond which the animal (or human) will not recover. Perhaps this whale was beyond that tipping point or perhaps it wasn't until the added stress of a strange creature poking at it or climbing on it pushed it beyond that point?
Creek, whales bodies are designed to be supported by water. When they beach themselves, the weight of their body can make it harder for them to breath and puts too much pressure on other internal organs. There appears to be a lot of reasons why whales and dolphins beach themselves. In some cases, it appears the animals may be sick but in others (most), we have no idea.
Another moron pizza. Simpletons abound. It's proven every day.
tired,
I understand that they'll crush their organs "beached" I figured you'd know that I meant being in shallow enough water that they only have to move slightly up to get a breath of air. The problem lies in the tide gong out unbenounced to the whales trapping them.
Here's the latest;
One of the most persistent theories about the cause of whale stranding is that something disrupts the whales’ navigation system, causing them to lose their bearings, stray into shallow water, and end up on the beach.
Scientists and government researchers have linked the low-frequency and mid-frequency sonar used by military ships, such as those operated by the U.S. Navy, to several mass standing's as well as other deaths and serious injuries among whales and dolphins. Military sonar sends out intense underwater sonic waves, essentially a very loud sound, that can retain its power across hundreds of miles.
Evidence of how dangerous sonar might be for marine mammals emerged in 2000, when whales of four different species stranded themselves on beaches in the Bahamas after a U.S. Navy battle group used mid-frequency sonar in the area. The Navy initially denied responsibility, but a government investigation concluded that Navy sonar caused the whale standing's.
Come on, read the article people, no one said he killed it! I was already sick, and he could, and should, be charged with harassing it. Maybe when some of your are sick and on your deathbed, you can be harassed in your final hours.
The outrage in these forums is totally misplaced. Sure it was wrong, and harassing sick animals is wrong... But there is so much worse going on in the world today, and nature is being destroyed so much faster else where. But hey lets unleash all our rage at these two young men. Trust me there is FAR worse going on right now.
EYESWIDE....SHUT............. So we should just ignore what these idiots did ? By not saying anything we would be agreeing with this behavior. This IS part of "the worse" that's going on in the world today....why are you defending these as you call them "two young men" are you related to these morons ?
Missy,
Relax sunshine. The guys will boast about it and word will spread eventually bringing them to their demise. You know, "caught". And then they'll be prosecuted to make a point to the rest of the people that you don't do these asinine things to animals/mammals.
Have a good one...;-)
mcmcmc-6782056 banned for death wishing.
My guess is this: what witnesses actually saw was a Sperm Whale that had been choking on two swimmers and finally coughed them up. It soon died afterwards due to reasons yet to be determined and possibly related to toxins absorbed from them.
It's the ocean and there are too many variables to just guess but the ocean is great food for the imagination.
It was Jonah!
Prosecute them for harrasment,since its a federal offense.
Their defense will be that they were traumatized at an early age when their parents took them to the circus and they saw a monkey in a Shriner hat riding a dog.
I'm sorry, but that was f-ing funny
I'm sure the two people had a whale of a time. Get real people. A whale dying is not that big of a deal. Dying is what happens after living. It happens all the time, everywhere, and you can't stop it with legislation or prayer.
Another sad little imbecile heard from.
Hey stuttering moron, if a whale doesn't want to interact with swimmers, it can either swim away or kill the swimmers. The swimmers had no effect on the whale.
Uncle Ben--have to say, that is generally true. My son is a SCUBA diver and last fall a group he was diving with encountered a mother and 'baby' whale, and he got one picture of it. I asked why he didn't get more, not even thinking, and his reply was, "I can't SWIM that fast."
And they had been told up front to NEVER approach a whale as with a single swipe of the tail they can kill you, without necessarily meaning to.
uncle ben, how about while you are sick and dying we put some kids on top of you to play "horsie".
Allison if you want to put a kitten on my chest go ahead. This whale weighed TONS. having a 150 pound human sit on it is like a kitten sitting on your lap.
Ben. It's about respect....or the lack of it. The animal was obviously sick. A better course of action might have been to remain at a respectful distance and ponder how it came to be there...why was it sick? Little is known of these leviathans...we dishoner it by having playtime on it's back while it dies.
Uncle, so, you are a cetacean expert? Maybe the whale was beyond help when the swimmers began harassing it and maybe it wasn't. I am reasonably sure a necropsy will be performed and maybe it will be able to determine what killed the whale and whether or not the swimmers played any part in the death. Even if the whale was taking its last gasps, why does that give anyone the right to make the last gasps hell by poking at it and climbing on it. These are very intelligent creatures (the whale, not necessarily the swimmers) but, they live in a very hostile environment. I cannot imagine the panic they would feel with some strange creature poking at it and climbing on it.
Tired, you're right about the kitten but, think of it this way, you are laying in bed and you suddenly feel something crawling up your back. You have no idea what it is! Maybe it's a big spider or a scorpion! It only weighs an ounce or so it's probably very similar to the swimmers crawling on the whale's back.
Yeah uncle, maybe you're next. On your way to hell you'll change your tune.
Ignorant, disrespectful f*ck!!! If he's not prosecuted, I hope Mother Nature will give him a sweet payback!
People disresect animals all the time. Some people even eat animals.
wolfe...and actually wear their skins and use it to sit on!
Wolf...no disrespect in eating an animal, although you didn't actually say that I suppose. The disrespect comes when we forget that the animal has "given" it's life so that we may live.
And yes...people disrespect animals all the time...and each other. Many speculate that whales and such are way higher on the "sentient" scale than we may know. Which may mean that we are actually clever but ultimately stupid critters, blind to our own actions that sully the surroundings of every living thing as we consider ourselves entitled to do so.
Damn...I'm just so damn ranty this morning!
The reality is the whale was injured and/or sick as the people in the video state. The whale was already dying and the people bobbing around and swimming near, under, and over the whale were actually trying to assist the whale as well as trying to determine how badly injured or sick the whale was.
So get off your soap box and do some reading before slamming the "morons", "idiots", and "imbeciles".
In my humble opinion we (the human race) should keep ourselves out of the picture completely. If a bunch of whales or dolphins beach themselves, so be it. Leave them be, and let them die in peace.They're throwing in the towel for some reason.
well stated,,,( also,,,human trash is a big problem for earths oceans )
You got it right. While I am an advocate for animal rights, these morons that just spout their "knowledge" of how the swimmers helped to kill the whale piss me off. Those two were fleas on the whale's back. They may have been looking at him trying to assess his problems, or merely casually riding on it, but nonetheless, they did not play a part in the poor creatures demise.
Nice to know you're a sea creature expert tb. How can it piss you off without having a clue? It's a possibility, just like you going out later and being mugged. Now there's some entertainment.
Devl...unless we're the reason they're throwing in the towel....or play some part in it. When you stop to consider how short sighted we have been in the past it's not a far stretch.
If the whale was on it's last leg, so to speak, what difference did the swimmers make? That's the part I don't understand. Maybe they were trying to comfort it or trying to see what they could do to help. I don't know if climbing on top of it was a wise choice, but that's a crime? Now if they were hitting or pounding on it, that would be a different story. It also said in the story if a whale is seriously injured or ill, there's nothing that can be done for it anyway.
We're all for save the whales, but I seriously doubt this could have had any effect on the ultimate outcome of the animal. I don't live anywhere near a coast so I don't know for sure.
Then another comment in the story, the whale ate plastic, got sick and died. Do she know that for a fact? This story is really just a localized event. I don't see how it makes national news. Just trying to sensational the news, I guess.
I wish when you, callous people, are be dying, somebody will ride your face because it won't affect the outcome, right? At least they will have "whale of a time" on you.
@ Aqwa "are be dying" You speak pirate. How cool is that. Ever hunt whale from your pirate ship?
Aqwa
I don't know about killing the whale, but you sure kill the english language.
@UncleBen-3793367 and @tbmike you are trolls who have nothing to say and are picking at obvious typos. :-) FYI english -> English
Aqwa
In case you didn't notice, there is an opportunity to review your post and correct. People with poor communicative skills exemplify the fact that they may not be as smart as the rest of us. Sorry, but that is the reality. Notwithstanding your stupid post about someone riding my face, which, in some cases, is a pleasurable experience.
Sorry...but that was actually kinda funny Ben...lol...
@tbmike he-he, temper! Ok, wish you had pleasurable experience (that one you mentioned) as often as you want :-)
Barney, if you're going to climb on a sperm whale, on top of it is the only safe place. The jaws are way down on the bottom and hinged way back--a sperm whale's mouth is not on the front of its head, unlike all other whales. Congratulations on being the first to figure out that they were in fact whale lovers, and meant only to keep the cetacean company in its last minutes.
These guys are probably with Whale Hospice Of Port Pompano. These "WHOPPers," as they're locally known, have been ready to serve in this capacity since their founding in 1961. They're not widely known, since this is the first dying whale to have ever drifted into their service area. This is a happy occasion, because now they can write something in their log book!
We are truly apes with bigger brains.
And this incident proves that we are as st*pid as any monkeys swinging in their cages in any zoo)
Two swimmers climbed on top of a whale that was on the brink of death. Now people want charges filed against them for harassing the poor beast. Okay, I'm for arresting any scumbag who abuses an animal, mammal or anything in our wild kingdom, but who is to say that what they were doing was harassing? Has anybody identified and talked to the two people who were "riding" the whale? Not that I read. Perhaps they were qualified and were looking for injuries or trying to coax the poor beast away from the shallows. Why is it that people automatically call for arrests and convictions first? Based on some crappy photos from a 5th story apartment unit? Really? Come on people. If they were riding this whale for fun they should be punished according to the law, I agree, wholeheartedly. But isn't it great how we automatically assume wrongdoing when we see it on the internet? How about we know the facts first before we call for peoples heads on pikes?
Yes, exactly. And I suppose if they only swam near the whale and had nothing more than that, maybe they would be trying to charge them for not offering assistance to the whale or something. To me it's just sensationalizing the news.
Mike--Oh, please. You expect alot from the same people that labeled George Zimmerman as a racist white guy with a rich judge for a daddy and therefore he was guilty of MURDER, while at the same time labeling a 17 year old who was old enough to play football, and to smoke/deal marijuana a CHILD and therefore pure as the driven snow?
Never let the absence of a few FACTS spoil a good story.
Mike: Unless you are a marine biologist or veterinarian, you shouldn't be "examining" a whale. If the riders wanted to help the creature, they should have contacted authorities. Gee, even the article mentions that the people in the know, the scientists, state very clearly that the swimmers were more of a detriment, than a help. I hope these idiots do get charged, because they broke the law.
MoMaid
As opposed to complete morons who think a story about a whale has anything to do with George Zimmerman. It takes a real class act to stick up for that P.O.S.
People could argue all day over if the animal was stressed or if the swimmers are terrible people for "harassing" it, but go ahead and familiarize yourself with the Endangered Species Act. The bottom line is what the swimmers did was illegal, so people's wants aren't going to determine whether charges are filed or not. People have the right to be upset, just as you have the right to be upset over people being upset. Even if the swimmers were inspecting the animal for injuries to help it, the manner of which they did it is still illegal. As public beach signs clearly state(along with a number to call), an injured or sick marine mammal should only be approached by experts. Maybe they were both experts, but if they were this case would probably be solved already.
Whales are magnificent creatures and it's so sad how the water they rely on to survive is so horribly abused by us, humans. As stupid and juvenile as people are nowadays, this story about the idiots messing with the poor sick/dying whale doesn't really surprise me. Sadden me, yes, but surprise me, no. I do, however, believe in karma, so even if they are never identified, I think the DA's that got their jollies from this incident will get their payback sometime, somewhere. You can't be so stupid and eventually not.
federal offense to harass marine life, BUT not to abort a baby. barry wants to change america and make us more civilized. maybe consider starting with not killing little ones in the womb. Q...what is the difference between the violence against the sandy hook children and those aborted? the answer is simple....not one thing. not one thing.
Midwesterner--IF you truly believe there is no difference between a fetus and the kids who were shot, then I DO hope you are also against masterbation.
and I would strongly advise you NOT to have an abortion.
Meanwhile, my 170 year old Presbyterian family Bible says that God created Adam from dust, and then BREATHED life into him.
HMMM--that says Adam was NOT 'alvie' until he could breath.
See, our constitution absolutely guarantees you the right to worship the way you chooose. It does NOT allow you to force YOUR particular religious beliefs on OTHERS.
Boy, the knuckle-dragging idiots are out today, right Kimber?
How can you possibly compare the two?
Let's arm the Whales and children too!!! Your right to life is subject to your willingness to take a life when threatened???
My parents never said,Tom when your swimming,don't hop on whales for rides.I respect wild life,and if anything I feel guilty for all of us,what we have done to this planets animal habitat's.But come on,this is common sense,you don't hop on animals in the wild and ride them.Spend some time with your children,reading,watching wild life docs.GEEEZ!!!!
Do you feel any guilt that our Nation has turned our backs on God? I prefer spending time reading the bible with my children and letting wildlife tend to thiers!
If your god is all you say, then it's literally impossible to turn your back as supposedly he can see all.
If Congress wouldn't pass so many laws maybe people would know of them. It is said that there is no lawyer who knows anywhere near 1% of them.
The reality of the situation is that whatever is killing the whales will eventually kill us too.
We can't continue polluting the oceans at the rate we are or we're toast soon. MAybe for the better for the EArth.
It's a self-adjusting system. When one specie overwhelms/ruins the limited resources, eventually a correcting factor (or factors) will kick in to drastically reduce the population - maybe even cause extinction of the offending organism. Of course, that may not happen until many other species have also been wiped out. Have faith that eventually the imbalance will be corrected.
@ mailman8 "Have faith that eventually the imbalance will be corrected." I heard it's happening this Friday.
"whatever is killing the whales will eventually kill us too"
Ever consider the possibility that it could be as simple as old age?
The problem is the 24 hr. news channels. They have to fill the minutes with anything they can and if they can sensationalize it, all the better.
@Aqwa
are be dying?
hmm not correct but ok moving on.
somebody will ride your face.
Please please pretty please. But no guys or fat chix.
man people are really f-in stupid, first of all some of ur posts dont even make sence, if you are in deep waters...first of all' has any person tryed to lift another person in neck deep water, try it next time; if ur 200 pounds in the water' you only really weight 10 pounds' in water only, if this guy was on top of the whale, the weight did not hurt the whale, the only thing that maybe hurt the whale is if this idiot block the whales air' the blow hole on its back were the whale breathes
Welcome to the revolution Joe...and now that you have woken up to the fact that people are stupid you better brace yourself 'cause the stupid never ends and gets more and more blatant as you focus on it. Soon, with a minimal amount of practice, you'll be seeing the stupid virtually everywhere you look!
Don't be discouraged....look at it as an awakening.
We're the smartest critters around but can't even wipe our ass without it requiring clear cutting huge tracts of land, building factories, marketing schemes, taxes, human rights issues.....the list goes on and that's just so we can wipe our asses.
Again...welcome...spread the faith brutha...
Why are they endangered? It's a SPERM whale. They should be reproducing all the time.
Thats funny
All those posts that are saying that the swimmers had nothing to do with the whale's death are missing the point. Are human beings ever going to finally realize that other animals were not put on this earth as entertainment for us? Think about that the next time you hear about Barnum & Bailey's circus coming to town.
While you're at it maybe ask him about stupid humans that basically defecate where they eat / sleep and lead lives that take precedent over every other living thing on the planet....including humans less fortunate than themselves.
Maybe ask him whether things like sonar testing might really screw with critters that have such an acute sense of hearing.
May as well ask him whether huge dead zones in the ocean and floating islands of debris (evidence of previously mentioned defecating where we live / sleep) might be contributing to things like this whale dying.
....maybe it was just old...
Here instead of sending this jerk to jail, make him clean up the beaches for the next 15yrs that would include the public bathrooms on the beach.
Send them out to the mid-ocean plastic swamp (at their own expense) and require them to bring back and properly recycle 100 tons of man-trash to fulfill their sentence.
"Christina Coniglio, who was also on the beach, said she suspected that pollution contributed to the whale's illness. "The environment is so dirty," she said. "When the whales go and eat all those plastics and bottles and things we throw in the sea, they get sick and this is what happens."
Maybe the swimmers we're trying to get the 2 liter bottle out of his mouth? Sounds like there's a congregation of marine biologists on the beach.
I guess nothing in the ocean just dies of old age anymore. There has to be some human intervetion that's wiping out all marine life. Give them the death penalty I guess.
If your dog was dieing, would you want any of the neighborhood kids poking at it and trying to climb on it's back? The dog is going to die anyway so what difference does it make, right?
only in floriduh!!!!