FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - A whale is stranded on the sand in Flagler Beach, not far from the Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area.
The whale, which is approximately 15 feet in length and weighs an estimated 3,000 pounds, has beached itself several times after rescuers attempted to pull it back into the water.
A spokesperson for Flagler County tells FOX 35 News the animal is a Cuvier's beaked whale. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Cuvier's beaked whale, sometimes called "goose-beaked whales," are found in most oceans and seas worldwide and have the most extensive range of all beaked whale species.
Cuvier’s beaked whales, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and prefer deep waters of the continental slope and edge, NOAA says."Cuvier’s beaked whales are capable of diving up to at least 3,300 feet for 20 to 40 minutes," according to NOAA.A whale is stranded on the sand right in Flagler Beach very near the Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area.