Researchers are investigating the death of a 55-foot whale after its decomposed body was found on a La Jolla beach early Wednesday.
The carcass was found by a member of the public near the La Jolla Shores parking lot on La Vereda near Camino Del Oro after it likely washed up overnight, said Michael Milstein, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric istration.
“It appears to be a large baleen whale, but it was extremely decomposed — there really was not a lot left,” Milstein said. “So our team took samples, and we’re going to have to run genetic tests to tell what type of whale it is.”
Milstein said NOAA scientists responded to the scene quickly, and by noon, cleanup crews from the city of San Diego had largely cleared the beach of any remains.
The researchers estimated that the whale had been dead for some time before it ultimately washed ashore, Milstein said.
“There’s nothing obvious that would suggest a cause of death,” Milstein said. “It’s going to take a couple of weeks to get some results on this.”
Rather than functional teeth in their mouths, Milstein said baleen whales have flexible hairs bound together by connective tissue and embedded in their upper gums. The hairs help the animal filter water for prey.
A toxic algae bloom has been killing local marine life recently, with reports indicating that it began affecting animals up and down the coast as early as February. On one Sunday earlier this year, 16 dead dolphins were collected from San Diego-area beaches, a majority of whom later tested positive for high levels of domoic acid.
It is unclear whether the whale suffered from domoic acid poisoning.
