This 16-ton dead Sperm Whale recently washed up on shore at Cape Lookout.
© NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and TechnologyThis 16-ton dead Sperm Whale recently washed up on shore at Cape Lookout.
A team of anglers in North Carolina got more than they expected last week when they discovered a dead 16-ton sperm whale stranded on the beach.

The anglers, which included two veterinarians, contacted officials with a North Carolina marine mammal stranding response network team.

Those officials also contacted large whale specialists to carry out a post-mortem exam of the whale.

The necropsy exam was not able to determine the cause of death of the whale.

Officials said they did learn the whale was a young male, and they were able to collect tissue for further testing.