Whale washes up at Fort Pierce Inlet, biologists say death was caused by infection

Tuesday marked the end of the line for a whale in St. Lucie County.

Four fishermen stumbled upon a two-and-a-half-ton humpback that had beached itself in the Fort Pierce Inlet.

Marine biologists said the 28-foot, 5,000-pound animal was sick and that it got so confused it wound up in the shallow inlet.

"It just seemed like it was looking at you the whole time there," said Vincent Randolph, one of the fishermen.

The group of fishermen called the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which responded along with Florida Atlantic University marine researchers.

"It's sad. It's a baby, ain't it? That's even sadder," said Jennifer McDowell, a witness who was visiting from Louisville, Kentucky.

All day, people brought binoculars to see the whale and the team of marine biologists.

The whale was thought to be only a few years old, and even at 5,000 pounds, it was severely underweight.

Researchers found little food in its stomach and an infection in its system.

"We kinda figured he was doomed from the beginning. You want to help, but what can you really do, you know?" said Jon Langel, another of the fishermen who found the whale.

A tow boat was seen leaving the inlet around the time FAU researchers expected the whale's body to be towed to sea for disposal.

Although the whale didn't live to an old age, many say they will never forget it.

"It's sad. But I guess that's life, right?" said Langel.

Researchers say only five humpback whales have beached off Florida's coast in the last five years, providing a rare opportunity for researchers.