Whales found washed up on California beach
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Beachgoers got quite the surprise Sunday morning when a whale was found washed up on the sand in San Diego.
It was 52-foot long fin whale, which is considered an endangered species, that washed up sometime before 9:30am.
"I saw some guy running around with his surfboard and I was like how were the waves and he was like pretty chill but there's a 40 footer on the beach, beached up and I was like what do you mean 40 footer and he was like its a whale, beached and I was like no way," said Aidan McHugh, a beachgoer.
It was a big surprise for McHugh and everyone else.
Aiding the whale
"It's unfortunate, but it's the circle of life most of the time," said Audrey Hagger, a marine biologist.
Hagger happened to be nearby.
"They either beach themselves if they're sick or they'll just float up naturally if they die in the wild," Hagger added.
At first, City of San Diego lifeguards, firefighters and police tried to tow the whale back out to the ocean using a rope around its tail, but the plan failed.
Heartbreaking
Before they could create a perimeter around the whale, people were seen walking up to it, even touching it.
A spokesperson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says this is not what you want to do.
They warned to keep both kids and pets away if and when you come across dead sea life because it could be carrying unknown illnesses.
"Super sad. Never seen this before. We've lived here for a long time. This is the first time we've ever seen this," said Cynthia Polis, another beachgoer.
Polis was also shocked to see the whale, and concerned at the thought of what happened.
"It's heartbreaking, you know. We dont know if it's because of all the pollution coming from the south. My husband surfs and my son surfs, and to see this its heartbreaking," Polis expressed.
Creating a perimeter
NOAA researchers arrived and worked with lifeguards to create a perimeter. They collected samples and took photos and measurements. Their big goal is to understand why the whale died.
They say while it looked like it had some wounds, they were likely from birds and it did not have any obvious signs of death like getting hit by a boat or attacked.
A spokesperson from NOAA says the plan was to tow the whale back out to the ocean and let it sink.
They also said the fin whale is considered fairly rare and could weight up to 100,000 pounds.
