50-foot sperm whale beached off of Venice near Service Club Park not expected to survive

VENICE – Mote Marine Laboratory scientists, with the help of local law enforcement marine units, are attempting to treat a beached sperm whale that was spotted Sunday on a sandbar off of Venice Beach.

According to City of Venice social media posts, the whale is on a sandbar about 50 yards off of Service Club Park, which is about a half-mile north of the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier.

Hundreds of spectators had lined the shore by late morning.

Sunday afternoon, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was too rough to approach the whale to give it a sedative. By 7 p.m., they said that due to high winds and surf, a response Monday would be their best option.

First thought to be as long as 70 feet, the whale is now estimated to be 50 feet long and 50,000-70,000 pounds. Officials had hoped to make another assessment at 7 p.m. Sunday but the weather was still too rough. Venice officials said on social media that the whale was still alive but had labored breathing.

Earlier in the day, police closed the entrance to Service Club Park as Mote scientists and members of the FWC assessed the condition of the whale.

A social media post by Venice Police Sunday afternoon indicated that they do not expect the whale to survive.

They asked boaters to stay away from the whale. The immediate area is restricted and police would be at the beach Sunday night and into Monday.

According to Gretchen Lovewell, Mote Marine Strandings Investigation Program Manager, they received a call at about 8:30 a.m. that reported the whale was on a sandbar about 150 yards off the beach, before it moved to the closer sandbar.

“We know from the size that it’s probably an adult sperm whale,” said Lovewell, who added that it appeared to be thin.

She later said that sperm whales are sighted in the Gulf but it’s not common for them to be near the shore.

Scientists in a multi-agency team of Stranding Network partners, which includes Mote, FWC, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, University of Florida, and Sarasota Dolphin Project, are monitoring the whale’s breathing.

Lovewell said the whale – which typically needs to be in deep water to thrive – appears to be slowly dying.

In addition to FWC, marine patrol units with the Venice Police and Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office are assisting Mote.

People are urged to avoid that area of the beach to allow scientists from the Stranding Network to conduct their assessments.

Kristi Sultan of the Suncoast News Network contributed to this report.

This is a developing story

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sperm whale beached on sandbar off Venice Beach, Florida