Florida
Large whale spotted beached on sandbar off Florida coastline
A whale beached itself off the coast of Venice on Sunday, leaving local authorities trying to assess the whale’s condition and the next steps to take.
The Venice Police Department and Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office units were assisting Mote Marine Laboratory staff with the beached whale about 50 yards out from Service Club Park, off the coast of Venice. The whale was identified as a sperm whale and was alive by early Sunday night.
It was situated on a sandbar and was estimated to be about 50 feet long and 50,000-70,000 pounds.
The Venice Police Department said in a post to social media, “water conditions are too dangerous to approach the sperm whale in distress … by boat to attempt to give the animal a sedative.”
Police said, “Unfortunately it appears this will likely be a recovery effort as nature takes its course.”
Sea vessels were asked to stay out of the whale’s area in the surrounding water.
SEE MORE: Red panda among 87 animals found in baggage at Thai airport
Police closed the entrance to Service Club Park while Mote Marine and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked to assess the whale’s situation.
Authorities asked people to avoid the area to allow Mote staff to conduct their assessments.
Venice Police said on Sunday, “the immediate vicinity of the whale is restricted until further notice. There will be police presence at the beach overnight into Monday.”
This story was originally published by Scripps News Tampa with additional reporting from Scripps News.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for Feb. 27, 2026
Montana cowboys help build trauma ranch for Israeli soldiers
How to Watch No. 12 Nebraska Basketball at USC with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel
Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads
Sen. Denise Ricciardi & Jeff Rogers: Stopping super speeders can save lives in New Hampshire
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
ICE blasts Washington mayor over directive restricting immigration enforcement
Did the EU bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s €90 billion loan?
How the federal government is painting immigrants as criminals on social media
Where Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach — and how close they are to the US
Has India’s influence in Afghanistan grown under the Taliban?
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics7 days agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT