VENICE, Fla. – The race is on to try and help a sperm whale that became stranded Sunday on a beach in Venice, Florida.
City officials said in a Facebook post that the whale became stranded at Service Club Park about 50 yards from shore, and access to the beach has been restricted while they assess the situation.
Video from the area showed that the whale was still alive as of Sunday afternoon and was seen struggling to break itself free from the shallow water and sand.
Other videos from the scene showed the beach filled with spectators watching the situation unfold as boats from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office circled the approximately 70-foot sperm whale while its tail thrashed in the ocean water.
According to FOX 13 in Tampa, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said the whale became beached around 7 a.m. Sunday.
“We know from the size that it’s likely an adult sperm whale, and it appears very thin,” Gretchen Lovewell, Stranding Investigations Program manager at Mote Marine Laboratory, told FOX 13.
In addition, the FWC said a multi-agency team of Stranding Network partners, including the Mote Marine Laboratory, FWC, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, University of Florida, and Sarasota Dolphin Project, are all responding to the scene to assist.
“It’s very rare for us to have,” Lovewell said. “I’ve been at Mote for almost 15 years, and we’ve never had a sperm whale here. So, they do occur off the Gulf. But for them to be at the beach is not common.”
Members of the Venice Police Department, Sarasota Sheriff’s Office and the City of Venice are also assisting.
Members of the public are being asked to avoid the area while crews conduct their assessments, and the entrance to the park has been closed by police.
“Right now, we’re waiting on the tide and the conditions to become safe for us to work,” Lovewell said. “So once conditions improve, we’ll start making more of a plan.”