Cause Of Death Revealed For Whale That Refused To Leave LB Harbor

LONG BEACH, CA — The cause of death for a minke whale that refused to leave Long Beach's harbor earlier this month has been revealed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA officials said in a statement Wednesday that a necropsy of the whale determined it died due to high levels of domoic acid poisoning. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring biotoxin produced by certain species of algae.

"Each of these whale deaths is heartbreaking—and also deeply telling," Keith Matassa, CEO and Founder of the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance (OARRA), said in a statement. "Whales are sentinels of ocean health, and their suffering signals a larger ecological imbalance driven by intensifying harmful algal blooms."

Southern California's coast is experiencing one of the largest algae blooms ever record, which has caused illness and death to thousands of marine mammals and birds in recent months, according to NOAA officials. Animals such as sea lions have been reportedly acting aggressively and "feral" when ill.

Sea lions, dolphins, humpback whales and minke whales feed on fish such as sardines and anchovies, which are known to gather domoic acid, NOAA officials said.

"We typically see mass strandings of California sea lions, with occasional dolphins, during domoic acid events," Dr. Alissa Deming, Veterinarian and Vice President of Conservation Medicine + Science at PMMC, said in a statement. "This bloom is negatively affecting record numbers of sea lions and dolphins — and now multiple whale species. The scale of this mortality raises serious concerns about ocean health.”

The 24-foot male minke whale in Long Beach had been circling Rainbow Harbor for several days in early April, worrying experts about whether it would survive.

Despite several attempts by the NOAA to get it to leave, the minke whale refused. It died Sunday, April 6.

Minke whales are the smallest members of the baleen whale family, according to the NOAA. They can reach lengths of up to 35 feet and weigh up to 20,000 pounds. Their estimated lifespan is up to 50 years.

Minke whales can be seen offshore sometimes. Though they're not "super rare," they're not normally seen inside harbors unlike grey whales, which can often be seen near coastlines, Justin Viezbicke, the California stranding coordinator with the NOAA, told Patch earlier this month.