Marine biologists are studying a whale that washed ashore in Myrtle Beach overnight.

The female Pygmy Sperm Whale was discovered on the beach near 9th Avenue South early Friday morning.

The whale was euthanized after a veterinarian determined the animal was sick and would not survive.

The body was taken to the National Ocean Service lab in Charleston for a necropsy to determine how it died.

"There were no outward signs of injury. She may have had some sort of condition. Occasionally this species is found with marine debris in their stomachs, bags and that sort of thing," said Rob Young, with Coastal Carolina University Marine Biology.

Young says the whale was the usual size for an adult - about 11 feet long and 500 pounds.

He says Pygmy Sperm Whales typically live about 50- 60 miles off shore and only come close to the beach if they're seriously ill.