Maria

Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima)

(MML 0233)

Age Class	Adult
Gender	Female
Date Stranded	September 17, 2002
Location of Stranding	Whitney Beach, Longboat Key, Florida
Date of Arrival	September 17, 2002
Number of Days of Care	<1 Day

Final Disposition

Euthanized 18 Sept. 2002

This whale was found beached on Longboat Key. It had been reported earlier in the day, but had been pushed back into the water by witnesses. It restranded that evening and was brought to Mote's Dolphin and Whale Hospital for assessment. Upon admission, the whale appeared to be semi-comatose, severely underweight, seemed to have one collapsed lung and had pulmonary edema in the other lung. An EKG revealed a very unusual pattern that was thought possibly due to cardiomyopathy. It was decided that euthanasia was the best choice for the whale and that was carried out under sedation.

Necropsy of this whale revealed consolidation of the right lung and pulmonary edema in the left lung, a dialated heart, and severe constipation with severe dehydration. There were also a large number of parasites found in the first two stomachs. The whale was found to be in early pregnancy as well.