Finding Nemo: Have You Seen This Whale?

Sperm whale showed up at Miami Beach marina Tuesday afternoon

Boaters and researchers combed the waters near the Miami Beach Marina on Wednesday in search of a species that's pretty hard to miss: a sperm whale.

The baby whale, about 10-feet long, spent much of Tuesday afternoon in the waters of the marina after it likely got separated from its mom, NOAA scientists said. Sperm whales usually spend their lives in the open ocean and away from shallow waters.

But after being drugged for evaluation, the whale disappeared. Apparently, large sea mammals don't like needles and doctor's visits, either.

Now researchers are concerned the calf is too weak and could die.

That's not far from the fate the sperm whale was facing if it stayed in the marina. Scientists said Tuesday that if they could not locate the mother in nearby waters, the calf would likely have to be euthanized. The calf had visible scars on its head and dorsal fin that looked like it had been hit by a boat's propeller.

Officials said the calf was not a candidate for rehabilitation.

Perhaps the whale heard the grim news and decided it was better to swim and try to make it on its own than to stick around and be humanely killed by its human "saviors."

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