A 2,900-pound dead baby whale was transported by trailer to the UF pathology unit in the College of Veterinary Medicine for an autopsy on Saturday morning.
The animal is a "right whale," the most endangered kind of whale in the world. Its name comes from the whale-hunting expression "the right whale to kill."
Because there are only about 300 right whales left, every death has a huge impact on the species, said Michael Walsh, associate program director in the aquatic animal health program at UF.
The 15-foot carcass was spotted Friday evening washed up on a beach in Volusia County.
Walsh said if scientists can determine why the whale died, future deaths may be prevented.
Whales usually die from human interaction, difficult births, congenital defects or infectious diseases, he said.
If human interaction, which includes getting hit by boats or caught in nets, is found to be the cause of death, then fishing and boating practices may be changed.
Because it is so rare, not much is known about the animal. Studying the dead whale will give veterinary students a unique experience and will further scientific information about the species.
"What we're doing is kind of like 'CSI,'" Walsh said. "Except since we don't have many bodies available, we have to jump on every opportunity for study."
Only three calves have been found over the last four years on Florida beaches. The one found Saturday was the first this year, Walsh said. Right whales spend half the year in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. During the winter, they swim south to give birth in warm water.
Because they only give birth every three to four years, deaths, especially deaths of infants, are extremely harmful to the right whale's dwindling population. Walsh said the pathology team believes the baby whale died from birth complications and was probably dead for a day or two before landing on the beach.
"It's too bad this animal wasn't that fresh," Walsh said. "Fresh organs are much easier to study."
