A small whale who was spotted in the shallow waters of Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor has died, officials said Sunday.
It was unclear when the whale entered the harbor, but the animal 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 said officials there were monitoring the situation.
The whale later turned up on the rocks of the shore Sunday morning.
“The minke whale that had been circling within Long Beach Harbor for much of the week was unfortunately found dead this morning,” according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration statement. “NOAA Fisheries is working with local officials to determine how best to access and examine the carcass to learn what happened to the whale. We will share more information when it becomes available.”
Minke whales are small whales who grow up to about 35 feet, and are largely found near the West Coast of North America.