Whale Refusing To Leave Long Beach Harbor Worries Experts

LONG BEACH, CA — A minke whale has been swimming in Long Beach's Rainbow Harbor over the last several days, causing growing concern among experts.

It's unclear why or when exactly the whale arrived, but officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they received reports of the large mammal swimming near the Catalina Express area Tuesday night.

"At this point, we're going to let it do its thing over the weekend," said Justin Viezbicke, the California stranding coordinator with the NOAA. "There's not a lot of ways you can force a whale to do something."

Viezbicke says his organization has been using boats to create noises and visual effects, creating an uncomfortable environment so that the whale will leave the harbor. Though they've gotten the whale to the main channel each time, it has refused to cross the main bridge, eventually going back into the harbor.

The whale, which is roughly about 20 feet long, looks physically healthy at the moment, but Viezbicke says concerns are growing the longer it stays inside the harbor.

"Worst case scenario, it's going to end up not surviving," he said. "This area doesn't have what it needs to survive."

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, said Viezbicke.