A small whale, which gathered a large crowd after a string of sightings at Long Beach Harbour, has been killed, officials confirmed Sunday.
The cause of death is still under investigation. The National Marine and Atmospheric Administration collected tissue samples from deceased whales and conducted tests to determine the likelihood of death.
“During the night, it came out, went up like this, got stuck and died,” Justin Wiesbecki said in NOAA. “Efforts from our partners today help us understand what happened.”
The minced whale was found near the Catalina Express Dock on the coastline marina on Thursday morning. It is unknown when the whales first arrived in the shallows, but witnesses said it had been in and out of the area a few days ago.
Earlier this week, Harbor crews were using an underwater mobile boom to bring whales back towards the open ocean.
A crowd of small whale paintings in Long Beach surprises the wildlife crew who repeatedly attempt to push the whale into the ocean. Mekahlo Medina is reporting NBC4 News on Friday, April 4, 2025 at 3pm.
Tyler Askari, with a Harbour Breeze cruise, first spotted a whale on Monday near the cruise company’s boat dock. He said the whales may simply be in the area to satisfy their appetite.
“We think it’s going to track the food path and find it and end up at the dock,” Askari said. “No matter where the food is, where the whales are.”
The Minke Whale is a member of the Beerene family. They are the smallest Baleen whales in North American waters, reaching up to 35 feet long and weighing up to 20,000 pounds.
Whales are usually spotted alone or in small groups. Their distinct vocalizations vary with clicks, grants, pulse trains, ratchets, sumps, and even Boeing.
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