By Jim Hulen - North MyrtleBeach ONLINE.com

North Myrtle Beach, SC August 15, 2007--At approximately 6:30 this morning, North Myrtle Beach Public Safety was notified of several marine mammals near the shoreline, between 9th Avenue South and 25th Avenue South in North Myrtle Beach.  

NMB Public Safety Animal Control officers along with experts from DNR and NOAA responded, and began efforts to assist these marine mammals.  During the course of the morning, it was determined that the mammals were pygmy killer whales.

There were reports of another pygmy killer whale, but officials on site were never able to verify a fourth.

Attempts to return the whales to the water were unsuccessful. When found, they were very weak.

Brian Williamsen, North Myrtle Beach City Information Officer, was on the scene.

"They did everything they could," Williams said, “City and Department of Natural Resources workers tried to return them to the ocean.  They selected what appeared to be the eldest male, put him on a tarp and took him out to deeper water.  They were hoping that, if he would be able to float and swim, the others would follow him out. When that failed they put wet towels and poured water on the animals to try to keep them alive."

Despite these determined efforts to save the whales, all three were ultimately euthanized as a humane measure. 

A representative from NOAA told Williamsen that he had never heard of pygmy killer whales in water this far north.

Pygmy killer whales are mostly sighted around Hawaii and parts of Japan, though it is a rare treat to spot one. This is because they rarely appear above the ocean surface, and live in deep waters far from the shore.

Animal Control Officer Jerry Gordon represented the City of North Myrtle Beach well, as he teamed with DNR and NOAA personnel and attempted to save these creatures.

The pygmy killer whales will be taken to facilities in Charleston and Wilmington for necropsies.

Despite their name, Pygmy Killer Whales are not dangerous to humans, though they can be aggressive, charging at divers. While they are known to hunt and feed on dolphins, their main diet is squid and fish.

Present was Bill McLellan, Research Associate in Marine Mammalogy at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington.

McLellan said, “I work with marine mammals to both understand their anatomy and physiology while they are alive, and, ultimately what causes their deaths. We also respond to stranded whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals in North Carolina.  In this case, NOAA in Charleston asked us to respond since we were so much closer.”

“These mammals are not common in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a real oddity.  In the past 26 years I have only witnessed one stranding and that was at the Virginia and North Carolina border,” added McLellan.

“The ones stranded at North Myrtle Beach were three old males, really beaten up, so age could be a factor,” concluded McLellan.

One of the whales went to Wilmington with McLellan; the other two went to Wayne McFee with NOAA at Charleston.