Endangered Juvenile Sperm Whale Euthanized on North Carolina Beach

The North Carolina Aquarium cites the difficulty of rehabilitation as the reason for euthanasia, with plans to investigate the cause of the stranding.

• A juvenile sperm whale was euthanized after stranding on a North Carolina beach near Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.
• The North Carolina Aquarium stated that euthanasia was the best course of action due to the difficulty or impossibility of rehabilitation for many large whale species.
• Experts from the aquarium plan to conduct a thorough examination of the whale's body to potentially determine the cause of its stranding.
• Sperm whales are the biggest species of whale with teeth and can grow to 60 feet long. They are listed as endangered and federally protected.
• Sperm whales were nearly decimated by the whaling industry in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the prized waxy substance found in their heads, spermaceti, used in oil lamps, lubricants and candles.

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