A 25-30 foot whale washed ashore Monday at Little Dume beach. The whale is believed to be a juvenile Fin whale, according to Cindy Reyes, executive director of the California Wildlife Center.
Adult Fin whales are 45-75 feet in length. Reyes said the whale likely washed ashore Sunday night, and was discovered early Monday morning. Scientists from the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum are at the beach to perform a necropsy, or animal autopsy.
The necropsy would examine the internal organs and take cell samples, Reyes said. A large lump on the whale’s back has led scientists to suspect that it may have died after colliding with a ship, Reyes said. The proximity of nearby shipping lanes makes the area a hazardous one for whales, Reyes said.
