A dead gray whale, measuring approximately 50 feet in length, washed ashore near the Huntington Beach Pier on Friday. The whale, estimated to weigh around 60,000 pounds, was discovered near Tower 7 at about 2:30 p.m. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center, based in Laguna Beach, responded to the scene early Saturday to perform a necropsy, as reported by the NBC DFW.
The cause of death for the young adult female whale remains unknown. Glenn Gray, CEO of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, stated that there were no signs of physical injury, such as boat strikes, shark bites, or entanglement in fishing gear. Samples from the whale have been sent to a lab for further testing, which could take a couple of weeks to yield results, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This incident is part of a concerning trend, as gray whales have been dying in large numbers recently. Since the beginning of the year, at least 70 whales have died in the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico, where they migrate during the winter. Researchers are unsure why the mortality rate is high, but some speculate that malnutrition due to a lack of food might be a factor. Alisa Schulman-Janiger, from the American Cetacean Society, noted that the number of migrating whales observed this season is the lowest on record.
The City of Huntington Beach, with approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has taken responsibility for the disposal of the whale’s body. This event follows another recent incident where a minke whale was found dead in Long Beach after being trapped in the harbor for several days, as reported by FOX LA.
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