Whales

A necropsy was performed in an attempt to determine cause of illness and death and to better understand sperm whale health, energetics, and life history.

Sperm whales are an endangered species, but are also resident animals to the Gulf of Mexico. It is also rare for them to wash up on Florida shores.

The 50-feet-long whale was beached on a sandbar about 50 yards out in Venice. Weather prevented a rescue and the whale died between 3 and 4 a.m. Monday.

A first-of-its-kind assessment says whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from the warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice associated with climate change.

Protection of the endangered Rice's whale came a step closer Thursday with an agreement to temporarily enact a speed limit for some vessels in the western Gulf of Mexico. Backers of the deal hope to make it permanent.

The whale beached in Palm Coast was transported to a secret research facility at the University of Florida, where scientists can study the decomposition of the creature and its effect on the environment.

"These agencies are basically pretending that another catastrophic oil spill cannot possibly occur, cannot possibly be a risk for the Gulf of Mexico. And we know that that risk is real, and they need to be paying attention to that," said Chris Eaton, Earthjustice attorney.

A killer whale more than 20 feet long died after beaching itself in Palm Coast, Fla. This is the third known orca to be stranded in the southeastern U.S. and the first since 1956, an official says.

On the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act last month, a group of scientists asked the federal government for protection and funds for recovery of Rice’s whales.

Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are opposing a NOAA proposal that would reduce speed limits off the Southeast coast to protect the vanishing whales.

The Rice's whale can grow to 42 feet and is critically endangered, with fewer than 100 left.

Two pilot whales that beached themselves on Redington Beach Monday were released back into the Gulf of Mexico Thursday.The couple was part of a group of…