Newborn sperm whale calf strands on beach near Marineland

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A newborn sperm whale calf stranded Wednesday afternoon on a beach near Marineland.

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The 12½-foot male stranded near the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, north of the Flagler-St. Johns county line.

Officials said the whale will be humanely euthanized because it is not a suitable candidate for rehabilitation.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission led the response effort to the stranding.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, Marineland, the Whitney Lab, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, St. Johns County Fire Rescue and St. Johns County Beach Services assisted FWC with its response.

See a map of the scene below:

In January, a killer whale died after stranding itself south of Jungle Hut Park in Palm Coast.

Click here to read more about that, and scroll below to see photos.

Read: Orca dies after beaching itself in Palm Coast

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