Officials are working to move a beached sperm whale that washed up along the shore in Venice. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed Monday that the whale had died and that crews are working to pull the 44-foot-long whale onto the shore so that a necropsy can be performed to determine its cause of death. The necropsy will also give researchers insight into why the sperm whale may have beached itself, according to a spokesperson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Samples from the whale may need to be sent to a lab for deeper analysis if the reason the whale died is not immediately obvious, according to officials. That process could take all day. Researchers said the necropsy will also help them learn about sperm whales and the phenomenon of beachings. Laura Engleby, Chief of NOAA's Southeast Marine Mammal Branch, said the whale is estimated to be around 70,000 pounds and most likely an adult, given its size and length. Engleby also said the sperm whale was noticeably thin and underweight. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/sarasota-county-beached-whale-venice/67-779eeb31-f26c-41cf-8594-1763ce85b7ed ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay