A pygmy sperm whale was rescued Monday morning after washing up and Atlantic City beach.
The disoriented whale was a bit bruised but was alive when it was found around 7 a.m. on the beach near South Carolina Ave., according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
Why the whale became beached remained a mystery pending a veterinarian examination.
The sex of the stranded mammal wasn’t immediately known. It was taken to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, N.J. for tests. The biggest fear was that the whale could have an enlarged heart -- a common ailment among this type of animal.
The nearly six-foot, 100-pound whale was believed to be two to three years old. Normally this type of whale would be traveling with its mother so officials assumed something must have happened to her.
The whale then possibly became lost after it couldn’t find food, said officials.
The scrapes on the whale were common and “superficial,” according to officials. They weren’t unlike the scrapes people suffer when they fall and chafe their hands or knees and should heal in a few days.
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More should be known about the animal in the coming days.
