Cancun, Q.R. — A pygmy sperm whale found stranded off a Cancun beach has died. A group of swimmers on a beach at kilometer 8 in the Cancun Hotel Zone found the dying mammal Thursday.
Local authorities were notified of the stranded whale around 2:40 p.m. Responding veterinarians located the small whale grounded on sand having difficulty breathing. Although it was returned to the water, it died.
Cancun lifeguards made the emergency call to Civil Protection who in turn, sent help. The body of the whale was retrieved by personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa). Authorities have not commented on the age of the whale or its cause of death.
