This event has brought attention to the Dwarf sperm whale Garden City Beach as what not to do when one washes ashore.
An approximately 8-foot Dwarf sperm whale stranded alive in the surf at the south end of Garden City Beach on Monday evening, June 1, 2026. This incident occurred in the area where the Grand Strand meets Murrells Inlet. Members of the public pushed the animal back into the water before trained responders arrived. About an hour later, the whale washed ashore deceased.
This tragic event sheds light on the importance of appropriate responses to marine mammal strandings.
Understanding the reasons behind such strandings can help in conservation efforts.
The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network, the South Carolina stranding permit holder, recovered the carcass. They identified the species as *Kogia sima* — the Dwarf sperm whale. The animal’s cause of death is pending a necropsy completion, which may take several days to weeks.
This incident highlights the importance of conservation efforts for the Dwarf sperm whale, particularly in the Garden City area.
The stranding is a single event. It is not part of any active NOAA Unusual Mortality Event, and no broader die-off has been declared for the species or for marine mammals along the South Carolina coast.
What happened on Monday evening
The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network said in a public statement that its team was alerted to a live marine mammal thrashing in the surf at Murrells Inlet on the evening of June 1. The south end of Garden City Beach runs into the Murrells Inlet jetty. This places the stranding site at the southern terminus of the Grand Strand in Georgetown County.
By the time responders arrived, the whale was no longer in the surf. The public had pushed it back into the water, and it washed ashore deceased about an hour later.
Public awareness is crucial in these situations to ensure the safety of the animals.
The animal measured roughly 8 feet, which sits at the upper end of the species’ adult size range. Adult Dwarf sperm whales reach up to about 9 feet and weigh between 300 to 600 pounds, according to NOAA Fisheries.
The network indicated that its team would be processing the animal throughout the day. More details would be made available shortly. Responses, necropsies, and analysis can take days to weeks for individual cases.
What the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network said
The network’s full statement, which was posted shortly after the response, serves as the primary public record of this incident. It reads:
“Yesterday our team was alerted to a live marine mammal thrashing in the surf at Murrells Inlet. The public pushed it back into the water, and it washed ashore (deceased) about an hour later. Our team will spend the day processing the animal, with more details to follow. It has been determined to be an approximately 8 ft Dwarf sperm whale (*Kogia sima*).
These are the second most commonly stranded marine mammals in SC. Kogia are deep-diving and are typically sick if they’ve come to shore. This incident serves as a reminder of why we discourage you from pushing animals back to sea. Further answers will come in the coming days once our team has processed everything. Responses, necropsies, cleaning, restocking, report writing, and analysis can take days to weeks for individual cases.
The statement carries the educational center of the story in the responders’ own words: Dwarf sperm whales that reach the beach are typically already sick, and returning them to the water does not return them to health.
Recognizing these characteristics can aid in conservation efforts.
What a Dwarf sperm whale is
The Dwarf sperm whale is a small, deep-diving species in the family Kogiidae, according to NOAA Fisheries. It is distinct from the great sperm whale, *Physeter macrocephalus*, the much larger species made famous in maritime literature. *Kogia sima* and its sister species, the pygmy sperm whale, were not recognized as separate species until 1966.
The Dwarf sperm whale is a small, deep-diving species within the family Kogiidae, according to NOAA Fisheries. It is distinct from the much larger great sperm whale, *Physeter macrocephalus*, known from maritime literature. *Kogia sima* and its sister species, the pygmy sperm whale, were not recognized as separate species until 1966.
Dwarf sperm whales feed primarily on squid, octopus, and other deep-water prey, hunting with echolocation in waters often beyond the continental shelf. They are rarely seen alive from shore. They strand, however, more often than they are observed at sea, which is why the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network describes them as the second most commonly stranded marine mammal in South Carolina.
The species is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the species as Data Deficient, indicating insufficient information on population trends to assign a conservation status.
Why pushing a stranded marine mammal back is the wrong call
The instinct to return a struggling animal to the water is human and understandable. The science and the federal law point a different way.
Awareness of these protocols can save lives.
A Dwarf sperm whale on the beach is, in nearly every case, an animal at or near the end of its life. The species lives in deep offshore waters, and a healthy adult does not arrive in the surf zone by accident. The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network said in its statement that Kogia “are typically sick if they’ve come to shore.”
NOAA Fisheries publishes specific public guidance for anyone who finds a stranded whale, dolphin, or porpoise. The agency says members of the public “should not attempt to touch, handle, or return them to the water.” Pushing a stranded marine mammal back into the surf before trained responders arrive can unintentionally harm the animal, delay assessment and treatment, and lead to the loss of important health data, NOAA says on its stranding-response page.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 prohibits “take” of marine mammals — a category that includes harassment. NOAA Fisheries states plainly that “it is illegal for the public to harass protected species, which includes handling or pushing stranded marine mammals back into the water.” Penalties for violations can include fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment.
The objective of the law and guidance is not to punish well-meaning beachgoers. Instead, it is to prevent stranded animals from being moved in ways that could worsen their condition. It preserves the opportunity for trained responders to assess, treat, or humanely end suffering when necessary. The appropriate response when a beachgoer encounters a marine mammal in distress is to call for help, not to intervene physically.
In South Carolina, the state’s wildlife stranding line is 1-800-922-5431, operated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which routes marine mammal calls to the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network. NOAA’s Southeast regional stranding hotline is 1-877-WHALE-HELP, or 1-877-942-5343.
What happens next
The whale’s body is now in the hands of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network for processing. The network said necropsy and analysis can take days to weeks for an individual case, and it has not released a cause of death. Necropsy results, when they are issued, will be the only definitive account of why the whale came to shore.
The incident does not appear to be linked to any broader marine mammal mortality event. NOAA Fisheries currently lists three active Unusual Mortality Events along the Atlantic coast — one each for humpback whales, North Atlantic right whales, and minke whales — but none cover *Kogia sima*. The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network responds to roughly 50 to 75 strandings statewide in a typical year, and the Garden City Beach whale appears, based on the network’s running public tally, to be one of a handful of strandings logged on the South Carolina coast in 2026.
To summarize, the right response to a struggling marine mammal is to contact trained responders and maintain a respectful distance. The phone in a beachgoer’s pocket is the tool that can genuinely help.
Marine mammal strandings on the Grand Strand are not unusual. The geography of the south end of Garden City Beach — a long, sloping shore that runs into the Murrells Inlet jetty — places it in Georgetown County, not Horry, and within the response area of the Charleston-based Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network. The network’s blog documents strandings up and down the coast as they are processed.
Call the South Carolina stranding hotline at 1-800-922-5431 or NOAA’s Southeast regional line at 1-877-WHALE-HELP. Keep a distance of at least 15 yards from the animal on land. Keep pets and curious onlookers back. Do not touch the animal or push it back into the water. Do not pour water on it without instructions from a trained responder. Water can enter the blowhole and cause harm. Note the time, location, size, behavior of the animal, and any visible injuries, and share that information with responders when they arrive.
What to do if it happens to you
Beachgoers who find a marine mammal in trouble in South Carolina have a short list of right actions, drawn from the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network and NOAA Fisheries guidance:
Beachgoers who find a marine mammal in trouble in South Carolina have a short list of right actions. These are drawn from the guidance provided by the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network and NOAA Fisheries:
The next stranded whale on a South Carolina beach will not be the last. The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network’s request to the public is the most useful takeaway from Monday’s loss: the right response to a struggling marine mammal is to call trained responders and to keep a respectful distance. The phone in a beachgoer’s pocket is the tool that can actually help.
## Further Reading
Dwarf Sperm Whale Garden City: Understanding the Species and Its Habitat
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network — Stranding Response: https://www.lowcountrymarinemammalnetwork.org/stranding-response
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network — Blog: https://www.lowcountrymarinemammalnetwork.org/blog
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – NOAA Fisheries — Dwarf Sperm Whale species page: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/dwarf-sperm-whale
For more information, follow additional resources regarding Dwarf sperm whale Garden City incidents.
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – NOAA Fisheries — Do Not Move Stranded Whales, Dolphins, or Porpoises: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/marine-life-distress/do-not-move-stranded-whales-dolphins-or-porpoises
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – NOAA Fisheries — Marine Mammal Protection Act: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/laws-policies/marine-mammal-protection-act
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – NOAA Fisheries — Active and Closed Unusual Mortality Events: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/active-and-closed-unusual-mortality-events
For further information on the Dwarf sperm whale Garden City incident, refer to the resources available from the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network and NOAA Fisheries.
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – The State — McClatchy report on the Garden City Beach stranding: https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article315989807.html
Dwarf sperm whale Garden City – MyrtleBeach Online — McClatchy report on the Garden City Beach stranding: https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article315989807.html
