ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Wildlife officials euthanized a whale Saturday morning that beached itself on Mickler's Landing in St. Johns County.
IMAGES: Whale at Mickler's Landing
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said usually when whales beach themselves, it's not an accident and something is wrong.
"This right here is the first-hand ramifications of our actions. This is the end result. Just being responsible and taking care of our environment will not only help us, but dolphins and whales," Matthew Denny, manager of conservation programs at the Georgia Aquarium said.
The animal had abrasions from stranding itself and wildlife officials said it had a serious illness.
A necropsy will be performed to determine what was wrong with the whale.