Men Mutilate Beached Whale —for a Tasty Snack

It was dead, and they were hungry; it's still illegal

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff | Suggested by hogstr

Posted Sep 2, 2010 5:20 PM CDT

(Newser) – Two Florida men are in trouble after they spotted a dead whale on the beach and approached it with one thought in mind: Hey, free lunch. "The thing was deader than a doornail," said one of the men picked up for questioning by state conservation officers. He told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he cut off the tail so he could bring it home for a meal. "I'd probably broil or fry it."

One problem: It's illegal to possess or mutilate a federally protected species, even if it's dead. It's unknown why the creature, probably a pygmy sperm whale, beached itself, but another did the same a bit further up the coast around the same time. That one had to be euthanized, and biologists from the National Oceanic Administration will investigate. No word yet on whether the two men will face any penalties.

A man watches a beached whale at the Capao da Canoa beach in the Brazilian southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Ronaldo Bernardi, Agencia RBS)

Bubbles are seen in the eye of a beached gray whale south of Harborview Park in Everett, Wash. on Friday morning, July 9, 2010. (AP Photo/The Herald, Mark Mulligan)

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Men Mutilate Beached Whale —for a Tasty Snack

It was dead, and they were hungry; it's still illegal

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New Zealand Euthanizes 48 Beached Whales

Conditions had left little hope for the creatures

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Tourists help keep animals cool

Forget Jonah: This Whale Ate Sweatpants, Surgical Gloves

Beached whale's stomach was full of garbage

55 Whales Beach on S. African Shore

NO REAL ART YET, MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OR LOOK TO UPDATE LATER?

Florida Man Tried to Cash $100 Check ... Gets $3.3M

Well, after being mistaken for a robber and having his head kicked by police...

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Men Mutilate Beached Whale —for a Tasty Snack

It was dead, and they were hungry; it's still illegal

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Florida • whale • beached whale • protected species

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

New Zealand Euthanizes 48 Beached Whales

Conditions had left little hope for the creatures

New Zealand Battles to Save 80 Beached Whales

Tourists help keep animals cool

Forget Jonah: This Whale Ate Sweatpants, Surgical Gloves

Beached whale's stomach was full of garbage

55 Whales Beach on S. African Shore

NO REAL ART YET, MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OR LOOK TO UPDATE LATER?

Florida Man Tried to Cash $100 Check ... Gets $3.3M

Well, after being mistaken for a robber and having his head kicked by police...

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Newser By Users

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