Oregon Coast Whale: Dead Sperm Whale Washes Ashore, Will Not Be Moved

A 36- foot long sperm whale that had been dead for quite some time washed ashore near the Perter Iredale shipwreck near Warrenton on Monday. It had been tracked drifting since it was first spotted on March 2 near Newport, according to the Seaside Aquarium.

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The aquarium posted that because the whale had been dead for quite some time before washing ashore, scientists would not be able to get much information.

They did remove the whale's lower jaw, which was transferred to Portland State University.

As for the rest of the carcass, it will be left on the beach, which the aquarium says, "is really good for the beach ecosystem. By not burying the carcass shorebirds and raptors will be able to feast on this fatty-rich food.

"In the small time we were there we witnessed bald eagles, western gulls, ravens, and even a small white-faced storm petrel scavenging on the carcass."

The aquarium says that the "petrel was actually 'sipping' the whale oil off the top of the water which had pooled up around the head of the animal."

The aquarium says that while sperm whales don't often wash ashore in Oregon, it does happen, with the last one having happened about five years ago.

They also say that people need to leave the carcass alone as possession of whale bones is illegal.

Photos Tiffany Boothe/Seaside Aquarium