Beachgoers in San Diego witnessed a massive dead whale washed ashore at Pacific Beach Sunday morning. The 52-foot-long fin whale came ashore around 9:30 am local time. The whale washed up off Santa Rita Place, close to the boundary between Mission Beach and Pacific Beach.
The cause of death of the whale is still unknown. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researchers arrived at the scene to collect samples and investigate the reason behind the giant’s death. Researchers suspect that the whale could have been possibly ill.
According to Michael Milstein, a public affairs officer with the NOAA, the deceased whale was bleeding from its side, but it looked like it was from birds pecking at it and not from any serious injury.
Lifeguards made unsuccessful attempts to drag the massive mammal back out to sea by fastening its tail to a tiny boat. Heavy construction vehicles attempted hour after hour, to roll the whale to the shore. Lifeguards attached ropes around its tail to drag it offshore when that was accomplished.
People present at the scene took to social media to lament the loss of the giant endangered marine mammal while San Diego Fire responded to the scene. Scientists measured the whale and determined its length to be 52 feet. The fin whale was identified as a juvenile female. It is the second largest whale species in the world, according to researchers, and is uncommon to find in San Diego.
