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Garbage May Be To Blame For Florida Whale's Death

JACKSONVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) —  Garbage may have something to do with the death of a whale who beached itself in Florida.

A necropsy by Georgia Aquarium staff found multiple plastic bags and braided fishing line in one of the whale's stomach chambers.

Matthew Denny, a field coordinator for the aquarium's field station in St. Johns County, said while pathology results are pending, garbage appears to be a contributing factor to the whale's death.

The young Cuvier's beaked whale died at a rescue facility after it was found Tuesday. It was 13-feet long and weighed about 1,400 pounds.

The whale may have ingested the plastic bags thinking that they were something edible.

Denny said it's common for stranded marine animals to have ingested or become tangled in debris.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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