Nation IN BRIEF : NEW JERSEY : Rare Pygmy Whales Die After Beaching

Two rare pygmy sperm whales, likely a cow and her calf, died after beaching themselves. The whales, one nine feet long and 1,000 pounds and the other five feet and 100 pounds, were found two miles apart on the northern New Jersey shore, said Sheila Dean of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine. The larger whale died before rescuers could arrive from the center, and the smaller one died 10 minutes after being placed in one of the center’s tanks, Dean said. The mother was very thin, an apparent sign of sickness, Dean said.