Park rangers and wildlife specialists with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) discovered the carcass of a juvenile sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), also known as the cachalot, on Wednesday along Cahuita Beach near the La Amistad Caribe Conservation Area in Limón Province.

Authorities said the young whale measured between 8 and 9 meters (26 to 30 feet) in length and was in an advanced state of decomposition when it was found.

The whale was discovered in a natural lagoon formed by the tide in a remote area with difficult access, preventing crews from bringing in heavy equipment to remove the carcass.

Because of the challenging terrain, SINAC wildlife rescue teams removed and properly disposed of a significant portion of the whale's skeletal remains, including sections of the vertebral column and several ribs.

"The goal of the operation to remove the whale's remains was to reduce the environmental and public health impacts in the area," authorities said.

The recovery operation was carried out in coordination with the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Talamanca Canton in Limón Province and volunteers with the Turtle Rescue Cahuita organization.

The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and the world's largest toothed predator. Adult males average about 16 meters (52 feet) in length, with the head accounting for up to one-third of the animal's total body length.

The species can dive to depths of about 2,250 meters (7,380 feet), making it the third-deepest-diving mammal after the southern elephant seal and Cuvier's beaked whale.

Sperm whales are among the world's most widely distributed marine mammals, ranging from polar waters to the equator and inhabiting every ocean. In the Americas, they are most frequently sighted in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

The species is listed under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which considers sperm whales to be at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range. CMS member nations work to protect the species by conserving and restoring habitat, reducing barriers to migration and addressing other threats to its survival.

In a separate wildlife advisory, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) recently issued an alert after poisonous Atlantic Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) were detected in several areas of Cahuita National Park and along the northern Caribbean Coast.

Earlier this year, park rangers in Limón Province also rescued a baby Florida manatee after it became stranded near Tortuguero National Park. Authorities said the rescue was the first documented case in Costa Rica involving a stranded manatee calf.

SINAC is the government agency responsible for managing Costa Rica's national parks and protected areas.

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