Ill pygmy sperm whale washes up on Surfside Beach

SURFSIDE, TX (KTRK) -- A sick pygmy sperm whale washed up on Surfside Beach Friday. Beach goers contacted the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network and stayed with the whale until the experts arrived.

The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network tried to save the animal but ended up having to euthanize the whale. The adult whale was about 11 feet long, but extremely underweight, estimated at about 500 pounds. A typical adult whale would weigh 1,000 to 1,200 pounds.

The organization buried the whale on the beach and will run tests to determine why it was sick.

Anyone who finds an animal needing assistance on the beaches can contact the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 1-800-9MAMMAL.