Photo: Zach Josephson//Unsplash
A dead whale that washed ashore in La Jolla, California has prompted a NOAA investigation into its cause of death. However, the 55-foot carcass was so severely decomposed that it left a gruesome scene that stymied researchers.
“It’s obviously been dead for some time, but likely washed up on the beach in the last day or so,” said NOAA spokesperson Michael Milstein. “We think it’s one of the larger baleen whales.”
As NBC 7 San Diego reports, Milstein elaborated that the whale is so decomposed that it will require genetic testing to learn more. Samples collected Wednesday will be sent to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla. Results will come back in about a week.
“There’s such little remaining of the whale, there’s not much in the way of clues,” Milstein said. “But at least knowing what type of whale it is, it’ll give us a sense of if it’s a whale migrating north at this time or one that hangs around for longer.”
This is the latest in a series of whale deaths in Southern California. Four whales have been found in Los Angeles and Orange Counties this year, two of which have been linked to recent toxic algae blooms.
