Hilton Head Island, October 18, 2025

News Summary

A juvenile sperm whale was euthanized after being found beached on Hilton Head Island. Weighing approximately 20 tons and measuring 31 feet long, the whale was too sick to return to the ocean. A necropsy revealed starvation as the cause of death. This incident marks the fifth sperm whale stranding in South Carolina since 2002, prompting calls for the public to report beached mammals to authorities.

Hilton Head Island

A juvenile sperm whale was euthanized on May 5, 2025, after being found beached on Hilton Head Island. The whale, measuring 31 feet long and weighing approximately 20 tons, was deemed too sick to return to the ocean due to its vulnerability to predators. A veterinarian from the University of Florida was called to sedate the whale before performing the euthanasia procedure.

Before its death, the whale received hospice care, which included having its body splashed with water and covered with towels to maintain its comfort. Following euthanasia, the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network conducted a necropsy, which confirmed that starvation was the cause of death. The whale was found to be emaciated, being at the “end point of starvation” with significantly depleted fats and skeletal muscle. Tissue samples were taken for microscopic analysis to check for potential toxins.

Further tests on various viruses and bacteria are pending, which scientists hope will shed light on the underlying causes of the whale’s starvation. Experts suggest that the whale’s starvation could result from a lack of available food or a prior infection that left it unable to recover. Notably, no plastic debris was found in the whale’s stomach, indicating that it had been eating prior to its death.

The whale stranded along the beach on May 3, 2025, with euthanasia occurring on the following night. This incident marked the fifth stranding of a sperm whale in South Carolina since 2002. In the weeks that followed, two individuals were bitten by sharks near the whale’s burial site, which has led to speculation about a potential connection to the buried whale. However, scientists consider this unlikely.

Sperm whales are known to travel in pods and are capable of diving thousands of feet underwater to hunt for squid. The response to the whale involved various agencies, including NOAA and organizations within the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Whale strandings are relatively rare occurrences, with an average of four sperm whale strandings per year along the coast.

The burial site for the whale was established near the location where it stranded along the dunes of Hilton Head Island. Additionally, there is a call to action for the public to report any stranded or beached mammals to the appropriate authorities without approaching the animals.

Key Details

• Date of Beaching: May 3, 2025
• Date of Euthanasia: May 5, 2025
• Length: 31 feet
• Weight: 20 tons
• Cause of Death: Starvation
• Stranding Incidents in SC since 2002: 5
• Average Whale Strandings per Year: 4

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Additional Resources

• Island Packet
• Wikipedia: Sperm Whale
• Post and Courier
• Google Search: Sperm Whale Stranding
• ABC News 4
• Google Scholar: Sperm Whale Stranding Necropsy
• Bluffton Today
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Sperm Whale
• WTOC
• Google News: Sperm Whale Euthanasia

Author: STAFF HERE HILTON HEAD

The HILTON HEAD STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREHiltonHead.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival, and the Gullah Celebration. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, plus leading businesses in tourism and hospitality that power the local economy such as Sea Pines Resort and Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAiken.com, HEREBeaufort.com, HEREChapin.com, HERECharleston.com, HEREClinton.com, HEREColumbia.com, HEREGeorgetown.com, HEREGreenwood.com, HEREGreenville.com, HEREHiltonHead.com, HEREIrmo.com, HEREMyrtleBeach.com, HERENewberry.com, HERERockHill.com, and HERESpartanburg.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into South Carolina's dynamic landscape.