The Walton County Sheriff's Office and the Tourist Development Council responded to a call of a stranded whale in Santa Rosa Beach, South Walton, Florida on Wednesday 11th October. A bleeding, eight-foot pygmy sperm whale had stranded in the surf after suffering obvious trauma to its head, torso and tail. It died a short time later.

It was initially speculated that the whale had been shot, as it had two rounded and webbed wounds on the right side of its torso and what appeared to be two larger corresponding wounds on its left. Additionally, there was a large hole near the head of the whale and long slash near the tail. However authorities from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission after viewing the animal disputed the speculation and instead suggested that it may have just given birth and was subsequently attacked by cookie cutter sharks. Cookie cutter shark bites can look like gunshot wounds and predatory sharks could have been attracted to the whale by the event of birth, which typically causes strong-scented fluids to spill into the water.

Various reports however are indicating that a Walton County Sheriff's Office deputy actually shot the ailing whale and although cookie cutter shark bites can look like gunshot wounds, human involvement can not be ruled out at this stage.

Stranded pygmy sperm whales are somewhat of a rarity along Gulf beaches, with only one or so reported annually. This particular cetacean is quite small and although they have world-wide distribution, they are rarely sighted at sea and most scientific information about the species is that gathered from stranded specimens. The total population is unknown, but it is not listed as endangered or threatened - yet!