Rescued pilot whale declines unexpectedly
Just four whales remain of the pod of 22 that was found beached at Avalon State Park in Florida over the weekend. Experts hope the surviving whales will continue their recovery at SeaWorld Orlando.
In this photo provided by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, people attend to one of five rescued pilot whales Sunday at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Institute in Fort Pierce, Fla. One of the five died unexpectedly on Monday.
AP Photo/SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
MIAMI
Another whale that was part of a pod of pilot whales stranded on a Florida beach has died.
The juvenile whale had been at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Institute for rehabilitation since Saturday.
Harbor Branch official Steve McCullough says the male whale died around noon Monday after unexpectedly declining. Four other juvenile pilot whales brought to the FAU facility are being treated for infections.
The whales were part of a pod of 22 that stranded Saturday at Avalon State Park. The rest of the pod died of natural causes or had to be euthanized.
Experts hope to stabilize the four surviving whales so they can continue their rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando. Eventually, they could be released back into the ocean.