Orca dies after beaching itself north of Daytona Beach
PALM COAST - A 21-foot killer whale died after it beached itself in central Florida on Wednesday.
The orca landed on a beach in Palm Coast, about 60 miles south of Jacksonville.
A video posted by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office showed the orca laying on its side as waves splashed against it.
Researchers don't know how the whale ended up there or why it died.
Blaire Mase, a marine mammal stranding coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there were no obvious signs of trauma to the adult female
"It could be environmental factors. It could be some disease impact. It could be noise that could impact their equilibrium," said Mase.
Crews from the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the sheriff's office were on hand to help remove the carcass so that a necropsy can be performed.
This was the first documented time an orca has ever been seen beached this far south.