(FLAGLER BEACH, FLA) — A 21-foot orca was discovered washed up on the shore of a beach in Palm Coast, Florida on Wednesday.

Authorities found the whale dead on a beach located more than 60 miles south of Jacksonville, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies are on scene south of Jungle Hut Park in Palm Coast after a 21-foot orca whale beached itself this morning. It has since lost its life. @SeaWorld and @MyFWC are also assisting with its necropsy and removal. Please avoid the area at this time.#FlaglerCounty #FCSO pic.twitter.com/HcDx0ns225

— FlaglerSheriff (@FlaglerSheriff) January 11, 2023

“Deputies are on scene south of Jungle Hut Park in Palm Coast after a 21-foot orca whale beached itself this morning,” the sheriff’s office said. “It has since lost its life.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and officials from the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute assisted in the removal of the orca’s corpse so a necropsy can be executed.

Arial footage captured massive crowds of beach-goers gathering around the unusual sight, showing the orca laying flat on the shore.

The sheriff’s department requests that all residents avoid the area.