Acapulco, Guerrero — A newborn humpback whale died off an Acapulco beach after becoming stranded. The young calf was found without any physical injuries. Environmental authorities responding to concerned citizen requests located the humpback with a protruding umbilical cord.
With this, personnel from the National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) who attended to the whale determined it was only a few days old.
The 4.5 meter long calf was found on Playa Larga. Profepa reported that it was buried “in a strategic area” to avoid health risks.
In Mexico, humpback whales are listed in the Official Mexican Standard as subject to special protection. In the middle of the last century, they were commercially exploited until almost extinct, according to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).
