VALIANT EFFORT: Melon-headed whale euthanized

Coastal Naturalist and President of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter Texas Master Naturalists, Alicia Cavazos of San Benito (left) and Sea Turtle Inc. Marketing Director Tiffany Anderson (right) of South Padre Island support a recently stranded melon-headed whale at the UT Pan American Coastal Studies Lab on South Padre Island. (Staff photo by Craig Alaniz)

Coastal Naturalist and President of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter Texas Master Naturalists, Alicia Cavazos of San Benito (left) and Sea Turtle Inc. Marketing Director Tiffany Anderson (right) of South Padre Island support a recently stranded melon-headed whale at the UT Pan American Coastal Studies Lab on South Padre Island. (Staff photo by Craig Alaniz)

By CRAIG ALANIZ
Reporter/Photographer
press@portisabelsouthpadre.com 

An injured Melon-Headed Whale was found beached half a mile north of Highway 100 on South Padre Island Monday.

Cameron County Coastal Agent Tony Reisinger said the whale is the third most common beached mammal on the Texas Coast.

Reisinger said the whale had to be watched around the clock, adding that the mammal was smaller than average at 7 feet, 8 inches long. He said normally these animals are longer than 9 feet, travel in pods of 300 to 1,000 and consume squid.

The whale was treated by Dr. Tom DeMaar, Head veterinarian at Gladys Porter Zoo, in the University of Texas Pan American coastal studies lab on South Padre Island. The deep water whale was the first to appear beached on South Padre Island since 2007. That whale suffered from brain parasites. More tests will be done to figure out what happened to this whale, Reisinger said.

Reisinger said Dr. DeMaar did not think the whale would make it to a bigger tank in Corpus Christi, so the decision was made to euthanize the marine mammal. He said the whale was so weak that it passed when sedatives were administered.

Read this story in the Feb. 28 edition of the Port Isabel-South Padre Press, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

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1 comment

    • Anonymous on February 28, 2013 at 11:52 pm
    • Reply

    This animal should have been let to die in peace on the beach right where it washed up. Its natures way no matter how rare the whale or not. Those who took it from nature just prolonged its dying agony. The body could still be donated to science studied later and should be. They say messing with nature one becomes nature. But in this case I think the well intentioned good samaraitons and scientists should put themselves in the whales postion for just one minute. Two more grueling days of unnessary agony prolonged by true ignorance and lack of fellow animal respect This all done by non family members administrating unwanted help adn drugs in the name of a not well thought out rescue. I hope all of you so called volunteers learned that a valiant effort is not always a positive good thing to attempt.
    Really…..most humans with no insurance dont get that bad of treatment in the end. Let them die in peace and get over yourselves playing God with Gods real plans for wildlife.

    Valiant – Merriam-Webster Online

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valiantShare
    possessing or acting with bravery or boldness : courageous . 2. : marked by, exhibiting, or carried out with courage or determination : heroic …

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