Officials confirmed that a minke whale, which had been swimming in Long Beach Harbor for a week, died despite attempts by marine experts to reroute it to deeper waters. Efforts included removing obstructions and making noises to encourage the whale's departure. The cause of death remains under investigation, with concerns raised about possible exposure to domoic acid, a marine neurotoxin linked to recent sea lion and dolphin illnesses. The whale was a sub-adult male measuring about 24 feet, highlighting the ongoing challenges marine life faces in urban environments.
Michael Milstein, spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's West Coast regional office, said in a phone interview that the whale was found dead Sunday morning after officials had worked on Thursday and Friday to push the whale out of the harbor, only for it to return back.
Milstein said the whale would undergo an examination for injuries and other health issues to help determine why it died. One question is whether the whale was affected by domoic acid, a marine neurotoxin caused by algal blooms.
Minke whales, considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, can grow to more than 26 feet long and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to . The whale in Long Beach Harbor was about 24 feet long, Milstein said, or 'sub-adult' size, and was a male.
Milstein said it remained a "mystery" why the whale originally wandered into the harbor.
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