Large sharks now feasting on massive whale that died on Florida beach, video shows
Hungry sharks have descended on a 70,000-pound whale that died along Florida’s Gulf Coast, proving authorities were wise to tow it 15 miles out to sea.
Sea Tow Venice accepted the task of dragging it away from Venice Beach, and company officials posted nearly a dozen videos March 13 of sharks circling the 44-foot-long carcass.
They were soon gnawing and ripping at the whale as it drifted beside the boat.
“That is a big shark,” one crew member said as he watched.
Company owner Craig Marcum identified the feasting predators as tiger sharks, and he estimated the biggest was nearly 20 feet long.
“There is some peace that I found watching the cycle of life today,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Marcum reports the carcass had drifted “a couple of miles farther out” within a day of being released in the Gulf of Mexico.
The sperm whale was alive but struggling to breathe when discovered Sunday, March 10, stranded on a sandbar 50 yards from shore. It died early Monday, officials reported.
A necropsy (animal autopsy) was performed on the beach, but a cause of death has not been reported as of Friday, March 15. Marine biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described the whale as “thin” but did not report seeing traumatic injuries.
Swimming was temporarily banned along nearly 5 miles of beach out of concern the whale would attract predators. Video posted by WFLA showed the water turned red as gallons of blood drained into the gulf.
Dead whales are notorious for attracting hungry sharks of all species, including great white sharks.
Sperm whales are an endangered species found in every ocean and they can reach 90,000 pounds, NOAA says. The greatest threats to the species are vessel strikes, oil spills and entanglement with fishing gear, experts say.
“Sperm whales hunt for food during deep dives that routinely reach depths of 2,000 feet and can last for 45 minutes,” NOAA reports. “They are capable of diving to depths of over 10,000 feet for over 60 minutes.”
Venice is about a 70-mile drive south from Tampa.
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