A dead 52-foot fin whale washed up on the beach off of Santa Rita Place near the border of Mission Beach and Pacific Beach on Sunday morning.
The whale, which washed ashore before 9:30 a.m., was finally towed back into the ocean by lifeguards Sunday evening, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said, but there is a chance it could return due to tides. If that were to happen, lifeguards would tow it out to sea once again.
Before the beached mammal was cleared from the beach, the unusual site drew dozens of spectators. Some people were seen running up to the whale, and some touching it, but lifeguards quickly warned them to stay away through their vehicle’s loudspeaker several times.
By 11 a.m. researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) arrived and worked with lifeguards to create a perimeter around the whale. They were seen taking photos and collecting data.
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The whale appeared to be bleeding from its side. Lifeguards attempted to tow the whale back out to the ocean by connecting its tail to a small boat, but it was unsuccessful.
Michael Milstein, a public affairs officer with NOAA, said the whale is a female juvenile. He said the blood seen on the whale’s side was likely from birds pecking at it. It does not appear to have any propeller marks or gashes, which would be typical if it were hit by a vessel. It was not immediately clear how how the whale died.
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“It’s definitely something that I feel like never really happens on, like, public beaches. I feel like not many people see it very often,” said Audrey Hagger, who was walking with her dad. “It’s unfortunate.”
Milstein said while they encourage people to appreciate the whale, they warned bystanders and pets to stay away from it and give researchers their space. Because the cause of death is still unknown, the whale could have an underlying illness, he added.
SDFD told NBC 7 that the whale was towed out to sea by lifeguards on Sunday where the whale then sank about a mile off shore. Lifeguards will continue to monitor the coast in case the whale is to come back due to the tides.
If the whale were to come back to shore, lifeguards would work on towing it out again.
The fin whale is the second-largest whale species on earth, behind only the blue whale. They are also considered endangered and are, “fairly rare,” according to Milstein. This whale could weigh up to 100,00 pounds.
Cynthia Polis is a nearby resident and called the incident "super sad."
”We’ve lived here for a long time. This is the first time we’ve ever seen this so it’s heartbreaking," Polis said.
Milstein said they appreciate people reporting this to the NOAA stranding line. If you come across a stranded or injured marine mammal, you can learn how to report it here.
