Authorities probe report of swimmer riding sperm whale that died off Fla. coast
A sperm whale that was drifting off an eastern Florida shore on Sunday has died, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The agency now plans to look into a report from a resident Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, who said she saw the whale alive earlier in the day and saw one of two swimmers get on top of the whale, the NOAA said.
"This whale was likely ill or injured and that is why it came in so close to shore," said Blair Mase Mase, NOAA's southeast regional stranding coordinator. "This type of harassment could have caused more harm and added stress to an already stressed whale and ultimately caused its demise."
It is a federal offense to harass a marine mammal, Mase said.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/17/15960694-authorities-probe-report-of-swimmer-riding-sperm-whale-that-died-off-fla-coast?lite
Assholes...if you're able to ride a whale, you must know that there's something wrong with that whale.
