82 False Killer Whales Die After Mass Stranding Off Florida Coast

MONROE COUNTY, FL — What prompted 95 false killer whales to strand themselves off Monroe County’s coastline Saturday remains under investigation. Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory is working with other agencies to better understand the unusual occurrence that ultimately led to the deaths of 82 whales.

The mass stranding was first detected by members of the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday morning, Mote Marine reported Tuesday. The creatures were found along Hog Key in the Florida Everglades.

“Attempts were made by rescuers early on to try and herd the animals back out into deeper waters,” an email from Mote said. Those efforts were largely unsuccessful. A total of 72 of the whales died on their own, 10 were euthanized and 13 remain unaccounted for, Mote officials said.

“In the coming months biologists will try to determine why this happened by using samples collected during necropsy (non-human autopsy), but it can take months for results to come back and even then, a cause of stranding is not guaranteed,” the organization added. "Members from FWCC, NOAA, Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program and University of Florida performed complete necropsies on eight of the animals and samples for genetics were collected from all known animals."

Saturday’s mass stranding is the largest ever in the United States involving false killer whales, according to NOAA. Florida has only witnessed two other large stranding incidents involving false killers whales in the past: one in Key West in 1986 that involved 28 whales and another in 1989 at Cedar Key. The Cedar Key stranding involved 40 whales, most of which were able to swim away, Mote reported.

False killer whales are technically members of the dolphin family, according to NOAA. Females can reach about 15 feet in length while males grow up to 20 feet. Adult false killer whales weigh up to 1,500 pounds. The creatures are known to live in groups and tend to form strong social bonds, NOAA reported on its website.

“They are known to strand in large groups, as well,” NOAA's species profile mentioned. The creatures are found in Hawaii, along the West Coast of the United States and from the mid-Atlantic coastal states south to Florida. They are also found in all tropical oceans across the globe.

Agencies working to unravel the mystery of Saturday’s stranding include Mote Marine Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Florida. Many other organizations were involved in the attempted rescue effort.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission