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Mar 27, 2025

Sperm whale spotted off Stuart Bathtub Beach; stranding team search

STUART — Fishery managers are trying to find a sperm whale that reportedly came within 100 feet of Bathtub Beach early Wednesday. A sea turtle nest monitor reported seeing the whale shortly after

STUART — Fishery managers are trying to find a sperm whale that reportedly came within 100 feet of Bathtub Beach early Wednesday.

A sea turtle nest monitor reported seeing the whale shortly after sunrise, then it swam into deeper water and had not been located as of Wednesday afternoon, said Erin Fougeres, stranding team program administrator for NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office. He said it's possible the whale is ill and eventually will beach itself.

"I am concerned we may see it again," he said, adding that it being that close to shore "is not common behavior."

A coalition working to locate the whale Wednesday included the NOAA team, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute's marine mammal stranding team.

The group obtained some photos and drone footage, but has not provided that to TCPalm as requested.

"We could not confirm its size, but it doesn't look like a calf or juvenile. It looks more like an adult or sub-adult," Fougeres said.

It was the third whale reported off the Treasure Coast in the past three months. North Atlantic right whales Koala and Curlew were seen by boaters, beach-goers and high-rise residents from Vero Beach to Stuart in late January.

About four sperm whales a year strand along the East Coast of the United States, Fougeres said.

Tim O'Hara is TCPalm's environment reporter. Contact him at [email protected].