Elusive whale calf appears on NC beach and dies before help can arrive, lab says

A rarely seen species of whale became stranded alive on a North Carolina island, only to perish before help could arrive, according to researchers.

The discovery was made Wednesday, April 23, at Emerald Isle, a barrier island about a 145-mile drive southeast from Raleigh.

It was identified as a pygmy sperm calf by the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology at N.C. State University.

“Pygmy sperm whales are pelagic, deep diving, squid eaters and are rarely seen at sea because they spend little time at the surface,” the center reported in an April 25 Facebook post.

“Unfortunately, they often strand in mother-calf pairs, and many strand alive. This animal was a female, and her mother was not seen before, during, or after the response by the NC Aquarium Stranding team and NC State CMAST personnel. The calf died just before the team arrived,” the center said.

A necropsy was performed, but a cause of death for the calf has not been released.

Much of what science knows about the species has come from examining stranded pygmy sperm whales, the center said.

Fishing gear entanglement, vessel strikes and marine debris are among the greatest threats to the species, which has protected status, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports.

The species is native to the Mid Atlantic and reaches about 11.5 feet and 1,000 pounds, according to NOAA Fisheries.

“Pygmy sperm whales spend very little time at the water’s surface and almost never approach vessels,” NOAA Fisheries reports.

Ironically, the whales also have a defense mechanism similar to their top food source, the squid.

“Each pygmy sperm whale has a sac filled with dark liquid in its intestine. The whale can release more than 3 gallons of dark, reddish-brown liquid, or ‘ink,’ from this sac. The liquid creates a dark cloud in the water to help protect the whales when they feel threatened or are trying to escape predators,” according to the NOAA.

This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Elusive whale calf appears on NC beach and dies before help can arrive, lab says."