SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A 52-foot-long female fin whale washed ashore on Pacific Beach Sunday morning, drawing large crowds and an investigation.
Social media quickly circulated videos showing the massive whale stranded on the beach, bleeding onto the sand.
"We are here to learn about their life history, how they live their lives and why they die," said Kerri Danil, a research biologist working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Danil and her team responded to the call to examine the whale around 8 a.m.
"We did see signs or evidence of perhaps scavenging from sharks," she said. "There were some rake marks in it, but nothing that would have killed this animal."
The cause of the whale's death remains unknown at this time.
NOAA is actively working to remove the whale from the beach. The operation involves towing the whale with the assistance of heavy equipment and dropping it in a place where it will sink.
Danil said that the whale was a juvenile, not yet fully grown. Adult fin whales can typically exceed 70 feet in length.
The fin whale is the second-largest whale species on earth, following the blue whale.
