A humpback whale stranded on the Eastern Shore of Virginia will be euthanized, according Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach.
The whale was found on a secluded section of Wallops Island Wednesday morning, according to the aquarium. A stranding response team was sent to the site, but aquarium officials said a television helicopter flying overhead put the whale under stress and delayed the team from getting to the whale.
Stranded whales typically don't survive and volunteers won't try to put the whale back in the ocean, said Linda Candler, the aquarium’s marketing director.
Initial reports from the stranding team indicate that the whale was a large juvenile, Candler said. It measured between 30 and 40 feet long.
A necropsy will be performed Thursday.
