Emaciated whale dies after washing up on California shoreline

Jami Ganz  1 day ago

A whale that washed up on a California beach Wednesday has died.

Emaciated whale dies after washing up on California shoreline (msn.com)

© Provided by New York Daily News A 25-foot gray whale died after washing up near the shore of Dockweiler State Beach south of Marina Del Rey Wednesday afternoon.

Lifeguards found the 25-foot emaciated gray whale at Dockweiler Beach, south of Marina del Rey, around 4 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division said Thursday on its Facebook page.

They and personnel from Marine Animal Rescue were advised to not help the animal, who they didn’t want to risk injuring critically, according to tweet from the fire department lifeguards’ official account.

Originally, the Lifeguards, animal rescue and NOAA Fisheries — who directed them to leave the whale be — hoped the creature would manage to get back to the water during high tide, according to the Facebook post.

The whale though was declared dead around 8 p.m.

“With great sadness the stranded whale has been determined to be deceased,” the fire department lifeguards tweeted.

The whale’s removal, it said, would be coordinated by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, with a necropsy planned for Thursday.