A 21-foot killer whale died after beaching itself on the Atlantic coast in central Florida on Wednesday, authorities said.
The orca landed on a beach in Palm Coast, Florida, located more than 60 miles south of Jacksonville, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
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Crews from the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the sheriff's office were on hand to help remove the carcass so that a necropsy can be performed, Messod Bendayan, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said in an email.
Video posted by the sheriff's office showed the orca laying on its side as waves splashed against it.
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Orcas are among the largest and most powerful marine mammals in the ocean.
