A pygmy sperm whale that was stranded then rescued on a Malibu beach Sunday has been euthanized.
At approximately 4:40 p.m., lifeguards responded to Malibu Surfrider Beach for a report of a whale stranded in a lagoon on the beach, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Lifeguards and fire department officials removed the adult whale off the shoreline and transferred care to the California Wildlife Rescue.
The whale was in poor health and had sustained many injuries as a result of hitting against low tide rocks, the rescue agency said.
Working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “we opted to humanely euthanized the animal, in order to prevent additional suffering,” the California Wildlife Center said in a statement to KTLA.
Photos show the whale with several bloody scratches while being lifted into the rescue agency’s vehicle.
Pygmy sperm whales usually grow to be up to 11.5 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, according to NOAA.
No further details were available.