Sperm Whale Riders Being Sought by Feds

On Monday, we told you about the 40-foot sperm whale that washed ashore in Deerfield Beach. Turns out, a couple of dudes were jumping on top of and riding the whale as it died off the shore of Pompano Beach. And now a federal investigation has been launched to find...

By Chris Joseph

December 20, 2012

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On Monday, we told you about the 40-foot sperm whale that washed ashore in Deerfield Beach.

Turns out, a couple of dudes were jumping on top of and riding the whale as it died off the shore of Pompano Beach.

And now a federal investigation has been launched to find the unidentified men.

Snapshots of the men harassing the whale were taken by a witness.

Scientists believe the whale was under distress. The men trying to ride it like a surfboard only made things worse for the animal.

There is a possibility the men may have contributed to the whale's death.

This is the second time in the past three months that a person jumped on a wild ocean animal and tried to ride it like a pony.

Back in October, Ana Gloria Garcia-Gutierrez was spotted by witnesses jumping on top of and harassing a manatee. She was arrested and charged with a second-degree misdemeanor, an offense punishable by a $500 fine or a term of up to 60 days in the county jail.

The men caught in the photos trying to ride the dying sperm whale face a misdemeanor conviction with a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.

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