Beached Whales on Hilton Head Island
In May 2025 a starving young sperm whale came ashore near Marriott’s Grande Ocean. Strandings are rare here, and there’s a number to call.
- Most recent: a 31-foot sperm whale, May 2025
- Also stranded here: pygmy sperm whales (2018, 2019) and a pilot whale (2014)
- Report a stranding: 800-922-5431, dead or alive
- Don’t: touch it or push it back into the water
A whale on the beach at Hilton Head is rare enough that each one is remembered. The last was a young sperm whale in May 2025. Whales that strand here are nearly always sick or starving, and the right thing to do if you find one is the same every time: call the stranding hotline, keep back, and let the responders work.
The Beached Whale on Hilton Head in May 2025
On the evening of Saturday, May 3, 2025, a 31-foot sperm whale, a young male of about 20 tons, came ashore near Marriott’s Grande Ocean resort. A volunteer roped off the area that night. The next day the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network team examined it, kept it wet and covered with towels, and found it badly emaciated, too sick to survive if it were floated off. Sperm whales live in deep water and are endangered, and one on a South Carolina beach is a rare sight; this one had likely drifted a long way before it grounded.
Why the Hilton Head Beached Whale Was Euthanized
Late on Sunday, May 4, a veterinarian from the University of Florida sedated the whale and ended its life, following the federal rules for a stranded animal that can’t recover. Pushing it back out would only have meant it stranded again somewhere else or drowned. A necropsy the next day found the cause was starvation, with tests for infections to follow, since an illness can leave a whale unable to hunt. The whale was then buried in the dunes above the tide line, where officials expected the next high tide to smooth the spot over.
Earlier Whale Strandings on Hilton Head
January 20, 2019: a pygmy sperm whale washed up dead. Shore Beach Service arranged a necropsy, and tissue samples went to NOAA in Charleston.
December 2018: another pygmy sperm whale came ashore at Mitchelville Beach, the north-end beach at Fish Haul Beach Park.
2014: a pilot whale stranded and died on the island.
Pygmy sperm whales are deep divers that almost nobody sees alive, so most of what is known about them comes from strandings like these. Along this stretch of coast a whale strands about once every year or two, while dolphins strand 50 to 60 times a year.
What to Do If You Find a Stranded Whale or Dolphin
Call the South Carolina stranding hotline at 800-922-5431, whether the animal is alive or dead, and tell a lifeguard if one is nearby.
Keep at least 15 yards back, and keep dogs and children away.
Don’t touch it or try to push it back into the ocean. A stranded animal is usually sick, and one sent back out tends to strand again or drown.
Note where it is, such as the nearest beach access or marker, so the team can find it.
Whales and dolphins are protected by federal law, and bothering one, even with good intentions, can bring fines of up to $100,000. The responders on Hilton Head are the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network, which works under NOAA. For the other animals you may meet on the beach, see sharks off Hilton Head, jellyfish and stingrays and sea turtles.
More Beach Wildlife
Sea turtles nest on Hilton Head's beaches from May through October. How conservation efforts protect nesting mothers and hatchlings, and how you can help too.
Sharks off Hilton Head: the species in the surf, when they are around, the bites reported at Sea Pines and Coligny, and how to lower the odds.
Hilton Head jellyfish: when sea nettles and cannonball jellies show up, which ones sting, what to put on a sting, and how to avoid stepping on a stingray.
Every named beach on Hilton Head Island — Coligny, Driessen, Folly Field, Burke's, and more — with parking, amenities, and which one is right for your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was there a beached whale on Hilton Head?
Yes. A 31-foot juvenile sperm whale came ashore near Marriott’s Grande Ocean resort on May 3, 2025. It was badly emaciated and was euthanized the next night.
Why was the Hilton Head beached whale euthanized?
It was starving and too sick to survive. Sending it back out would only have meant it stranded again or drowned, so a University of Florida veterinarian ended its life humanely, following federal rules for stranded animals.
What happened to the whale after it died?
Scientists did a necropsy the next day, which found starvation as the cause, and the whale was buried in the dunes above the tide line.
What should I do if I find a stranded whale or dolphin on Hilton Head?
Call the South Carolina stranding hotline at 800-922-5431, keep at least 15 yards back, and don’t touch the animal or try to push it back into the water.
How often do whales strand on Hilton Head?
Rarely. Along this part of the coast a whale strands about once every year or two, and Hilton Head has had a handful in the past dozen years, most recently in May 2025.
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