A dead, 11-ton humpback whale washed onto a popular beach in California this week, prompting officials to warn locals to stay away from its “massive” carcass.
A massive 29-foot whale carcass washed ashore on a bustling portion of Newport Beach, located about 45 miles south of Los Angeles, on Wednesday afternoon, a Pacific Marine Mammal Center spokesperson told The Independent Thursday.
The subadult whale weighs approximately 11 tons, or 23,000 pounds, the center said.
Dangerous ocean conditions and strong winds on Wednesday prevented crews from immediately removing the whale from the beach.
“The stormy ocean conditions and rising tide make the whale a public safety concern, as the large body could roll onto bystanders who are too close,” the Pacific Marine Mammal Center said in a statement.
In addition to being a safety concern, humpback whales are a protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which requires the public to stay at least 100 yards or 300 feet away at all times.
“The salvage boat can’t even do it because the weather is still extreme out in the outer water, and it’s too dangerous to tow,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Chief Brian O’Rourke told the Orange County Register.
Officials hope higher tides and an upcoming storm system could pull the whale back out to sea. But if that does not happen, crews may need to cut the animal into sections to haul it away. “We’re working on a plan to dispose of it,” O’Rourke told the outlet. “For it to just decay on the beach would cause a lot of different problems.”
Authorities also warned the public to stay at least 200 feet away from the massive carcass, noting the whale’s body could shift unexpectedly in the surf.
“Just please stay away from it right now until we can get the salvage disposal of the whale underway,” O’Rourke said. “It’s massive; there could be some danger to the public, it’s rolling away from the surfline.”
“It could cause damage, even crush them,” he warned. “That’s a possibility in a dangerous situation.”
The cause of the whale’s death is currently unknown.
Staff with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center will do a preliminary assessment followed by a necropsy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesman Michael Milstein told the Orange County Register.
Plans to remove the whale remain up in the air as officials monitor ocean conditions and the weather.
