A small whale was spotted in the shallow waters of Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor Thursday, attracting some onlookers ashore and harbor crews on boats hoping to guide the whale back to the ocean.
It was unclear when the whale entered the harbor, but it was spotted Thursday morning near the Catalina Express dock.
Harbor crews could be seen maneuvering booms in the water in an apparent effort to guide the whale back toward the open ocean.
A representative for the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific told reporters it appeared to be a minke whale. Aquarium officials were monitoring the situation.