A Giant Sperm Whale Washed Up Near San Francisco And Scientists Don't Know Why

Scientists continue to research the remains of a 48-foot sperm whale that washed ashore this week. Officials are also trying to figure out the best way to dispose of the giant carcass.

By
Claudia Koerner
by Claudia Koerner

BuzzFeed News Reporter

The carcass of a sperm whale washed ashore near San Francisco on Tuesday, and scientists have yet to determine how it died.

Jeff Chiu / AP

Biologists and veterinarians arrived Wednesday at Mori Point on the south end of Sharp Park State Beach in Pacifica, California, to begin a necropsy and begin removing the whale's remains.

The whale had no broken bones, and though there was evidence of some hemorrhaging, it wasn't enough to indicate being hit by a ship or other blunt-force trauma, according to the Marine Mammal Center.

"The animal is emaciated, but squid beaks were found in the animal’s stomach indicating that it had been eating," the center said.

Tissue samples were also too old to reveal a cause of death, according to the center.

Jeff Chiu / AP

The whale was an adult male, and researchers from the California Academy of Sciences will examine its teeth to work to pin down its age.

The remains attracted plenty of looky-loos, who at first told ABC 7 they weren't sure what the carcass was.

Jeff Chiu / AP

Removing the massive, 48-foot-long carcass is also proving to be a challenge.

Jeff Chiu / AP

Multiple agencies were working together to determine the best course of action.

In the 40 years the center has been operating in Northern California, 17 dead sperm whales have washed ashore.

Though they couldn't determine the cause of death for the latest whale, scientists are still learning from the necropsy, research biologist Lauren Rust of the Marine Mammal Center said in a statement.

“A sperm whale stranding is a rare event, so the Marine Mammal Center was proud to be one of the many collaborative partners taking advantage of this learning opportunity,” she said.

The whales generally weigh between 35 and 45 tons, according to the American Cetacean Society, making them the largest of the toothed whales.

Adult sperm whales can dive to 3,000 feet in pursuit of their main prey, giant squid, and possess the largest brain of any animal that has ever lived on Earth, according to the National Marine Mammal Laboratory.

Skip to footer