Two whales, 10 turtles wash up on Outer Banks over weekend

Two whales, including a rarely seen false killer whale, and about 10 sea turtles washed up on Outer Banks beaches over the weekend, likely in part because of the nasty weather.

Only one animal, a Kemp’s ridley turtle, survived the stranding, said Karen Clark, an education specialist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

The 14-foot female false killer whale stranded on a South Nags Head beach Saturday. It was only the second time the species has been reported to be stranded in the state, Clark said. The animal, normally found in tropical waters, appeared thin and may have been ailing, she said.

Its remains were sent to the Smithsonian Institution, she said, because there are few samples of the species.

On Tuesday morning, Clark said, a severely decomposed humpback whale was found on a beach on the south end of Southern Shores. The animal was probably male, about 3 years old and 30 feet long.

Members of the North Carolina stranding network from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the National Park Service and the Wildlife Resources Commission conducted necropsies.

Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com