Fin whale found alive in surf at Cowell Beach; rescue crews await lower tide
Crews are waiting for a lower tide to move the emaciated whale and will perform a necropsy to determine what caused its death.
- A fin whale washed ashore at Cowell Beach on Thursday, prompting the Long Marine Lab Marine Mammal Stranding Network to monitor the animal until it died at 10:15 a.m.
- Evidence from faculty director Robin Dunkin of the Long Marine Lab Marine Mammal Stranding Network indicated the whale was emaciated, suggesting long-term illness rather than acute injury or boat strike.
- Because the 25,000 to 30,000-pound carcass poses a safety hazard for towing boats and high surf is expected, Santa Cruz officials decided to remove the whale using heavy machinery.
- Crews anchored the whale to a bulldozer Thursday afternoon to prevent it from drifting, with plans to transport the remains to a local landfill for a necropsy.
- Fin whales are the second-largest animals on Earth and remain listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, though some populations have begun to recover.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Pajaronian | Watsonville, CA
Good Times Santa CruzBeached whale draws hundreds
Hundreds of people gathered on Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz Thursday morning after a large fin whale washed ashore. Witnesses said the whale appeared to be alive before it reached the shore, and that it was moving its flippers and blowing water out of its blowhole. Officials from Long Marine Laboratory, the National Oceanic and […]
Whale washes ashore at Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz
By Tim Fang A live whale washed ashore Thursday morning at a beach on California’s Central Coast, officials said. Around 9:30 a.m., Santa Cruz city officials announced the whale had washed ashore at Cowell Beach. Marine safety personnel along with appropriate marine mammal response agencies had responded, according to the city. Crews have closed off
Fin whale stranding on Santa Cruz’s Cowell Beach draws crowds as rescue teams respond
A fin whale became stranded on Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz on Thursday morning, prompting an emergency response as biologists monitored the distressed animal. The whale initially appeared alive but showed no apparent signs of breathing by 10 a.m.
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