HILTON HEAD -- A death investigation of a whale beached in May found that starvation caused the mammal's stranding.
The 31-foot, 20-ton sperm whale was found May 3 on the coast of Hilton Head. Experts determined that it was too sick to return to see, where it could have become chum for sharks. A veterinarian from the University of Florida traveled to the island to sedate and euthanize the animal. Others provided it hospice care while the whale waited, splashing its body with water and covering it with towels.
The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network -- South Carolina's marine stranding permit holder -- said that a necropsy, or autopsy on an animal, revealed starvation caused the whale's stranding. This finding followed tissue samples from the animal that were submitted for microscopic analysis and an assessment of toxins within the whale.
The animal was emaciated, which the organization described as the "end point of starvation." It had depleted fats and skeletal muscle.
Further tests of viruses and bacteria within the animal are pending, which will reveal more information about what led to the animal's starvation, the group said. Results of those tests may show infections that suppress the immune system, and prevent the animal from hunting effectively.
Sperm whales spend their days traveling in groups, or pods. They can plunge thousands of feet underwater in minutes to feast on squid.
At times, however, they can mistake plastic or other debris as prey, creating intestinal issues.
The whale was buried along Hilton Head's dunes. Weeks after the burial, two people were bitten by sharks in the area, causing theories to swirl that the buried whale might be responsible for the bites.
Scientists, however, doubted the connection between the buried mammal and the nibbles just off the shore.