Venice lifts no-swim advisory after whale carcass removed from beach
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — City of Venice officials lifted the no-swim advisory that had been in effect for area beaches since Monday.
As researchers cut into the remains of a beached whale to collect samples for necropsy, its blood leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. It was essentially “ringing the dinner bell” for sharks and other predators in the area.
Officials haul whale carcass off Venice Beach and out to sea
The emaciated whale appeared off the coast early Sunday morning, but it died before crews could euthanize it and move it.
Editor’s note: The video above contains footage of a dead, bloodied animal, and may not be suitable for all audiences.
The advisory was later expanded to include the South Jetty, Venice Beach, Service Club Park, Sharky’s on the Pier and Caspersen beaches due to a shift in the wind.
The whale carcass was hauled out to sea Tuesday afternoon. Officials towed it 15 miles offshore before allowing it to sink to the ocean floor, where it will serve as nourishment and habitat for marine life.
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