The battered body of a humpback whale that may have been hit by a ship has washed ashore in San Pedro.
The Los Angeles Times reports that authorities discovered the whale's carcass on Sunday near a rocky outcropping not far from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Diane Alps of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium says the whale was likely hit by a large ship and pulled into its propellers. She said the whale appears to have been dead three to five days.
Humpback whales are often seen off the coast of Southern California this time of year before they head north to feeding grounds off Santa Barbara and Monterey Bay.
Their local feeding areas are in the path of ships heading into and out of the twin ports.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
