A 31-foot, emaciated sperm whale was found beached and later euthanized on Hilton Head Island.

A juvenile sperm whale, weighing about 20 tons and measuring 31 feet long, was found beached on Hilton Head Island near the Marriott Grand Ocean Resort and was euthanized after veterinarians determined it was too emaciated to survive. A necropsy was performed to determine the cause of its illness, and the whale will be buried on the beach. Whales often beach themselves when ill or injured, with about 2,000 whales stranding annually, most resulting in death.