Whale Dies In Long Beach Harbor After Refusing To Leave For Days

LONG BEACH, CA — The minke whale that spent much of the last week swimming in Long Beach harbor was found dead Sunday morning, according to authorities.

The whale, a 24-foot male, had been circling the harbor since at least Tuesday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked Sunday with local officials to access and examine the carcass, a process that includes looking for injuries and other health issues and taking blood and tissue samples, agency Public Affairs Officer Michael Milstein said in an email.

Experts found scrapes from rocks in the harbor, but no obvious cause of death, according to Milstein, who said the blood and tissue samples would take several weeks to analyze.

Justin Viezbicke, the California stranding coordinator with the NOAA, said last week that the whale looked physically healthy and that his organization had been using boats to create noises and visual effects to encourage the animal to leave, but that it had refused to cross the main bridge.

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.

About 900 minke whales are estimated to live off the U.S. West Coast, according to Milstein, who said they are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.