William Sheffield
September 1, 2017
SLMA September – Childhood obesity
September 1, 2017
A Grand Isle beachgoer made a troubling observation Saturday morning, a whale beached at a sandbar close to shore.
Grand Isle officials said they are not certain of the species but confirmed that the mammal is deceased. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is sending a biologist from Baton Rouge to examine the creature, which is estimated to be in excess of 20 feet long.
“My neighbor saw it and thought it was a large dolphin,” said island resident Karen La-Corte. “We thought perhaps it was alive and could be helped.”
Her husband, Ben Lussier, a biologist, ventured out to the sandbar and examined the mammal, which he determined was a while and which he determined had not survived.
“It looks like a young whale which is very sad,” said LaCorte, who estimates its length at around 20 feet, about a yard longer than full-sized pickup.
Let. Josh Legg of the Grand Isle Police Department said the initial call was received just after dawn.
“I have never seen a whale on Grand Isle or heard of one,” Legg said. “We get marine animals, dolphins, stranded. I spoke with a few people who have lived here a long time and they said they have never heard of a whale.”
Although the species has not been officially determined, Ben Lussier was told by a state biologist who viewed photos while en route from Baton Rouge that it appears to be a sperm whale.
They are listed globally as an endangered species, and protected under the US Endangered Species Act.
The variety that usually traverses the Gulf of Mexico has been recognized as being a population distinct from those of other oceans.
