Pilot Whale From Florida Keys Stranding Now Being Cared For at SeaWorld Orlando

In early May, a pod of 23 pilot whales stranded near Cudjoe Key in the lower Florida Keys. Unfortunately, most died at the scene, but two male whales were released after being deemed healthy enough to survive in the wild. Two female pilot whales, Fredi and “300,” are the only other survivors and both were being cared for in Key Largo, Fla., by SeaWorld staff and other volunteers at the Marine Mammal Conservancy. Fredi, the youngest, cannot be returned to the wild because she is too young to have learned survival skills. “300,” the sub-adult female moved to SeaWorld today, suffers from a curvature of the spine and although shows signs of improvement, animal experts with the National Marine Fisheries Service have determined the whale is unlikely to completely recover and require intensive physical therapy. The Fisheries Service chose SeaWorld as the whale’s permanent home because of the park’s expertise with pilot whales and other stranded animals. It is not known what caused the stranding.