A dead 25-foot whale washed ashore late Friday, April 11, near the Huntington Beach Pier.
A team from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center responded early Saturday and a necropsy is underway, said Glenn Gray, CEO of the Laguna Beach-based program.
The cause of the female gray whale’s death was not known, he said.
The whale washed up Friday near Tower 7 and the area was cordoned off by Huntington Beach Marine Safety, said Jennifer Carey, spokesperson for the city.
The city’s Public Works Department has received authorization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and PMMC to bury the whale on Sunday morning, Carey said.
NOAA officials said decisions on the burial of the carcass are made by the landowner where the carcass is found.
While there is no required depth to bury the carcass, typically it is buried above the high tide line to avoid being uncovered, said Michael Milstein, spokesperson for NOAA.
OrangeCountyOutdoors posted video on its Instagram page of the whale as the waves pushed it ashore Friday evening.
Last weekend, a minke whale was found dead in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor. It had been swimming in the inner harbor for several days prior.
Originally Published: April 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM PDT
