A pygmy sperm whale that died on Sunday afternoon after washing ashore on a beach in New Taipei City had been released off Keelung earlier that morning, a rescue team said.
After examining its features, rescuers from the Marine Animal Rescue Network (MARN) confirmed it was the same whale found stranded on Chushueili Beach (出水里) in Miaoli’s Yuanli Township (苑裡) on Saturday.
It was released near Keelung the next morning, but again washed ashore that afternoon.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Conservation Administration
It showed signs of life when rescuers arrived to help resuscitate it on a beach in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里).
The whale stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at 4:56pm, MARN staff said.
When it was found on Saturday, an examination by veterinarians showed that it had abrasions on its body caused by fishing nets, while a blood test indicated it had sustained internal injuries, the Ocean Conservation Administration wrote on Facebook.
“The whale was sensitive and resisted being handled, so we could not treat it properly. Since the rescue team could not give it further medical treatment, they decided to quickly release it back to the ocean, hoping it could recover on its own,” it said. “However, it was tragic to learn it later died.”
An autopsy is to be performed to determine a cause of death, the rescue team said.
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