Rotting Whale Carcass Could Wash Up Again

A marine biologist believes a dead whale that washed up in shallow waters in Del Mar is not the same one seen wandering around San Diego Bay in recent weeks.

The gray whale appeared to have been dead for several weeks and was too badly decomposed to be the same whale that residents had dubbed Diego, according to the biologist.

"The smell was horrendous immediately," one witness said.  But the stench did not deter curious people who had to take a look.

A lifeguard says a large gash at the midline indicated that the whale may have been hit by a boat propeller.

"In 18 years here, this is only the second beached whale I've been involved with in Del Mar," lifeguard Sgt. Jon Edelbrock said.

While it may be uncommon, it does happen.  A 45 foot fin whale washed up in Pacific Beach just two months ago.  That whale was hauled away to the Miramar landfill to rest in peace.

But lifeguards had a different plan for the whale that washed up Friday.  They pushed it back into the water, tied it up and towed it five miles out to sea, just to be sure.

"The guys who were towing it out were wondering if they were going to see some sharks as they were towing it offshore," Edelbrock said.

It's a legitimate concern.  In 2001, lifeguards in Newport Beach were towing out a 60 foot whale when they took pictures of two Great White sharks moving in for a feeding.

Del Mar lifeguards are also concerned that the current could bring the whale back, which is why they’re spreading the word.

"We let beaches to the south know, specifically the city of San Diego, that the whale was out there and there's a potential that it could move in that direction," Edelbrock said.

Another dead whale was found Friday floating in Los Angeles Harbor.

Federal marine scientists say they are investigating both cases.

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