Title: Three Stranded Sperm Whales in P.E.I. Confirmed Dead

All three sperm whales that became stranded off the northern coast of Prince Edward Island have died, according to a marine rescue organization. The whales were reported beached near Hardy's Channel at East Bideford on Saturday night. Tonya Wimmer, executive director of the Marine Animal Response Society, stated that one whale died shortly after becoming stranded, followed by a second whale soon after.

On Tuesday, the organization announced that the size and weight of the remaining whale presented significant challenges and safety risks. "As such, collectively, the difficult decision was made to let nature take its course and let the animal pass naturally," the organization shared on social media.

Wimmer explained that it is unlikely for whales to survive after being stranded. "With whales — a thing of any size, when they hit a beach, they don’t have arms. They’re beautifully designed to be in the ocean, and that’s where they’ve evolved, and they are fantastically perfect for that environment. But even though they’re a mammal, put them on land — that’s really not their element," she said.

The Marine Animal Response Society was alerted about the stranded whales on Saturday. By the following morning, one whale had already died, and another followed soon after. Veterinarians and Wimmer's team were monitoring the third whale, which was measured at approximately 10 meters in length, while the other two were about 11 meters long. Wimmer noted that the stranded whales were likely a "bachelor" group, consisting of juvenile subadults without a pod.

Several options were considered to assist the whales, including attempts to refloat them or euthanize the suffering animal. Wimmer remarked, "It’s just very complex for these large animals. Their bodies are way bigger than ours, way bigger than a pet we may have. There’s a lot of factors at play."

Fisheries and Oceans Canada reported that drones were being used to capture images of the whales due to the challenging access to the location by foot or boat. Sperm whales are typically found in deep waters of the continental shelf or in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, at depths ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters, Wimmer explained. The circumstances surrounding how the whales ended up on the northern coast of Prince Edward Island remain unclear and warrant further investigation.

The Marine Animal Response Society indicated that it would explore the possibility of conducting necropsies on the whales to determine the cause of their deaths.

This report was first published on September 30, 2025.