Massive Whale Washes Onto Beach Near LA, Dies

TORRANCE, CA — It was a sad and shocking sight Saturday night at Torrance Beach, where an enormous whale had entered the surf line, drawing a crowd of bystanders and eventually dying, according to authorities.

After initiating a necropsy Sunday, officials worked to stabilize the carcass and tow it offshore, where it was expected to sink to the seafloor. Authorities are advising the public to swim with caution in the area as whale carcasses are known to attract sharks.

Lifeguards responded around 6 p.m. to the 35- to 40-foot fin whale, authorities said, adding the Marine Mammal Care Center and National Marine Fisheries Service were notified about the whale and responded to assess its condition.

John Warner of the Marine Mammal Care Center told KTLA the whale was a juvenile that was sick, adding that the center hoped to take samples and learn what happened to the animal.

Due to the whale’s size and location it remained on the beach while responders created a removal plan, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, which instructed people nearby to give the animal space.

By 2 p.m. Sunday, the dead whale had been removed from Torrance Beach, and all involved agencies had been cleared from the scene.

“Right now, we are working to stabilize the whale so that the National Marine Fisheries Service can do a necropsy,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Murphy told KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos Sunday morning. “That way they can understand why it died and why it washed up on the beach…and if they are able to conduct a necropsy, it’s going to allow us to get it offshore. Once we get it offshore, hopefully it will sink and feed the ecosystem at the bottom of the ocean.”

Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on Earth and are endangered and depleted, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In adulthood, they can reach 85 feet, weigh 80 tons and live to 90.