Scientists: Euthanized whale was not in good health
<p>The chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society says the whale euthanized off the waters of Orchard Beach on Sunday was not in good health.</p>
News 12 Staff
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Apr 24, 2017, 12:27 AM
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Updated 2,559 days ago
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The chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society says the whale euthanized off the waters of Orchard Beach on Sunday was not in good health.
Robert Digiovanni says the whale was underweight and had scarring and scrapes on its body.
Officials attempted to rescue the mammal after beachgoers discovered the 15-foot long minke whale just before 12 p.m.
Experts were waist-deep in the ocean for hours, trying to tend to the 1,500-pound injured animal.
They say the whale continued to sink for hours, and the most humane thing to do was ultimately euthanize it.
Digiovanni says his team is busy collecting tissue samples from the whale in order to determine what was wrong with the animal.
