Feds looking for swimmers who rode dying whale

Published November 20, 2014

Federal officials are looking for the two swimmers who were seen riding a dying whale in South Florida.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports a Pompano Beach resident snapped a picture of one man riding the dying whale Sunday morning. The swimmers could face a misdemeanor conviction of harassing a marine mammal, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.

City officials had the 40-foot sperm whale carcass towed out to sea rather than allow scientists to perform a necropsy. Federal officials argued that learning the animal's cause of death would provide invaluable information for conservation.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asks anyone with more information to call their hotline at 800-856-1964.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/feds-looking-for-swimmers-who-rode-dying-whale