This story has been updated to include new information.
A lone pilot whale beached itself in Naples March 9.
Pilot whales are one of several whales found throughout the Gulf, but these animals typically stay well offshore of the shallow Southwest Florida coast.
They rarely enter waters near the coast here. When they do, it’s typically a bad sign as whales, especially pilot whales, are known for beaching themselves when sick or distressed.
The whale was euthanized, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission media office confirmed March 10.
The big fear is that more whales may follow, as was the case in 2014, when dozens of pilot whales beached in Naples and near Lovers Key State Park in Bonita Springs.
That year 37 short-finned pilot whales beached themselves in Lee and Collier counties, after a group of 23 came in to Gordon Pass and into Naples Bay.
“They live in stable female-based groups of about 15 to 30 animals composed of close family relatives, but pods of up to several hundred individuals have been seen,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, website reads.
Short-finned pilot whale among several found in Gulf
These whales are also found in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and other parts of the tropical and temperature coastal United States.
“The short-finned pilot whale is a species of cetacean found globally in tropical and temperate oceans,” the NOAA site reads.
The Gulf is thought to be home to about 1,300 short-finned pilot whales, with nearly 19,000 total short-finned pilot whales living along the East Coast, NOAA says.
The Hawaii population has another 19,000, but scientists don’t yet know how many short-finned pilot whales are found in places like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Other whale species found in the Gulf include the sperm whale, the humpback whale and Rice’s whale, a critically endangered species.
Chad Gillis is an environment reporter and can be reached by email at cgillis@news-press.com.
Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here and here.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Pilot whale strands along SW Florida coast. Where did this happen?
Reporting by Chad Gillis, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
