A
whale made an unexpected visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The
melon-headed whale beached itself south of Launch Pad 39A near Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station. Workers from NASA and from the Hubbs/Sea World Research
Institute are seen here supporting the whale on a sling in the Atlantic Ocean.
After getting a veterinary checkup, the whale will go to a whale rescue center
in Florida’s panhandle for rehabilitation and release.
Melon-headed
whales can grow to about 10 feet long and over 400 pounds by feeding mainly on
squid. The whales normally swim in the tropical and sub-tropical oceans,
although some venture to the northernmost edge of their range in the warm
currents of temperate waters off Florida.
— NASA and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA/Kim
Shiflett
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