A Whale Tragedy on Southern California Beach

A sizable tragedy has recently unfolded on a Southern California beach, as beachgoers found a decomposing humpback whale carcass weighing about 10 tons washed ashore at Newport Beach.

This 30-foot-long marine mammal was spotted on Wednesday, with waves crashing around it, creating a striking yet somber scene.

Videographer Tim Burnham, curious about the commotion, went outside after hearing what sounded like the whale coming ashore near his home. “It was quite bloated and didn’t look like it had been dead for very long,” he mentioned, saying they even flew a drone to check for any sharks, although they couldn’t spot any close to shore.

The cause of the whale’s death, unfortunately, remains unknown. Michael Milstein, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, indicated that a necropsy would be conducted to help determine what happened.

Burnham expressed concern about the potential for sharks to be attracted to the decomposing whale, even noting that there was no odor. “I really hope they can remove it quickly,” he stated. “If the whale oil starts leaking, it could draw in sharks. We usually swim out areas like that.”

Experts from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center visited to collect the whale and informed him that it was about a year old, which is rather young for a humpback whale. These creatures typically reach sexual maturity between the ages of five to ten.

The city is planning to take care of the dead whale but deemed the conditions too risky for removal on Wednesday. In the meantime, officials advise beachgoers to stay away from the whale. They warn that approaching it could be dangerous—not just because of the potential for crushing, but for other, unforeseen risks as well.

“Please, don’t go near the whale until it has been safely removed and dealt with,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Chief Brian O’Rourke cautioned. “It can cause serious harm.”