Laura Sherr, spokeswoman for the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, said beachgoers saw the carcass on the whale.
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A dead Humpback whale washed onto the shore at a Pacifica beach Sunday, according to dispatchers.
The carcass was reported at about 6:30 a.m. on the 400 block of Esplanade Drive, commonly referred to as Pacific Manor Beach, Interim Police Chief Daniel Steidle said in a statement.
Numerous dead whales have washed onto California’s beaches this year.
Scientists from The Marine Mammal Center and The California Academy of Sciences arrived on the scene to perform a partial necropsy to try to determine cause of death and collect samples. A 48-foot male sperm whale was discovered on April 14 and a 42-foot adult female humpback was found on May 5.
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According to the center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggested that ships crossing shipping lanes close to the Bay Area need to slow down in order to avoid hitting endangered humpback and fin whales, found foraging in the region. The dissection of the whale had revealed no official cause of death, leaving the scientists confused over the cause of the death.
