Whale found dead on beach

President of the Zoological Society, Gupte Lutchmedial, told Newsday the melon-headed whale, which is common in tropical waters, prefers deep waters and often does not survive after being stranded on a beach.

Described as a member of the Oceanic Dolphin family, the melon-headed whale grows to about ten feet long and weights about 400 pounds.

They live in large groups ranging from about 100 to 1,000 and they swim in small groups of ten to 15.