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Photo: Courtesy: The Marine Mammal Center
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A team of three scientists from The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences responded to a blue whale carcass at Agate Beach in Bolinas on Friday, May 26, 2017. The whale was identified as a sub-adult female blue whale measuring 24 meters, or about 79 feet.
lessA team of three scientists from The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences responded to a blue whale carcass at Agate Beach in Bolinas on Friday, May 26, 2017. The whale was identified as a
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Scientists from The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences plan to perform a full necropsy tomorrow (Saturday) on a 79-foot female blue whale carcass that washed ashore Friday, May 26, 2017, at Agate Beach in Bolinas. “The opportunity to perform a necropsy on a carcass in this good of condition will help contribute to our baseline data on the species,” says Barbie Halaska, research assistant at The Marine Mammal Center.
lessScientists from The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences plan to perform a full necropsy tomorrow (Saturday) on a 79-foot female blue whale carcass that washed ashore Friday, May 26, 2017, at
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A 79-foot female blue whale carcass tumbles in the surf at Agate Beach in Bolinas. A team of three scientists from The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences responded to the carcass Friday, May 26, 2017, to take initial measurements and tissue samples. The Center has previously responded to 8 blue whales in its 42-year history including a 65-foot blue whale at Westmoor Beach in Daly City in October 2016.
lessA 79-foot female blue whale carcass tumbles in the surf at Agate Beach in Bolinas. A team of three scientists from The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences responded to the carcass Friday,
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Best time to see them: May - November
Best time to see them: May - November
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Guided kayak tours are available in Moss Landing, offering you the chance to get very close to humpback whales and other wildlife (like otters!).
Guided kayak tours are available in Moss Landing, offering you the chance to get very close to humpback whales and other wildlife (like otters!).
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Here, a humpback whale surfaces next to Karen Hatch on a kayak paddle trip out of Moss Landing.
Here, a humpback whale surfaces next to Karen Hatch on a kayak paddle trip out of Moss Landing.
Photo: Giancarlo Thomae, Courtesy PhotoImage 8 of 22
Many tours will take you out to the Farallons for a glimpse at the rich ecosystem just outside the Golden Gate. Researchers stationed at the island counted 93 humpback whales, 21 blue whales and one fin whale in a single hour recently.
lessMany tours will take you out to the Farallons for a glimpse at the rich ecosystem just outside the Golden Gate. Researchers stationed at the island counted 93
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Best time to see them: May - November
Best time to see them: May - November
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The blue whale was hunted nearly to extinction, but happily the California blue whales have made a huge comeback. They're estimated to be at 97% of their pre-hunting population.
lessThe blue whale was hunted nearly to extinction, but happily the California blue whales have made a huge comeback. They're estimated to be at 97% of their pre-hunting
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Where to see blue whales: Point Lobos State Reserve
Blue whales are sometimes seen alongside humpback whales around Point Lobos. They're usually spotted in July, August and September.
Where to see blue whales: Point Lobos State Reserve
Blue whales are sometimes seen alongside humpback whales around Point Lobos. They're usually spotted in July, August and September.
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Whale watchers aboard a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat get a glimpse of a bule whale.
Whale watchers aboard a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat get a glimpse of a bule whale.
Photo: Manny Crisostomo, Sacramento BeeImage 13 of 22
Best time to see them: December - May
Best time to see them: December - May
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The highest number of whales swim by Point Reyes in Dec. - Feb., but now's the time to see calves. Mothers and babies will come close to shore in late April and early May. Whale experts say that 94-percent of Pacific gray whales will pass Point Reyes during migrations.
lessThe highest number of whales swim by Point Reyes in Dec. - Feb., but now's the time to see calves. Mothers and babies will come close to shore in late
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The lighthouse sticks out into the ocean, giving whale watchers a better and closer vantage point to catch a glimpse of a whale.
The lighthouse sticks out into the ocean, giving whale watchers a better and closer vantage point to catch a glimpse of a whale.
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March through May are good times to whale-watch in Montara, as calves stick closer to shore.
March through May are good times to whale-watch in Montara, as calves stick closer to shore.
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Bodega Bay features plenty of highway pullouts so you can safely view whales from elevated vantage points.
Bodega Bay features plenty of highway pullouts so you can safely view whales from elevated vantage points.
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Best time to see them: Year-round, but particularly in spring when they come to California to hunt grey whale calves.
OK, killer whales aren't technically whales. But they fall under the umbrella of 'cool marine mammals you can see while whale-watching.'
lessBest time to see them: Year-round, but particularly in spring when they come to California to hunt grey whale calves.
OK, killer whales aren't technically whales. But they fall under the umbrella of
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Best place to see killer whales: Anywhere where gray whales and their calves may be. Monterey Bay is a good bet since its deep Submarine Canyon makes it an ideal spot for whale crossings.
Best place to see killer whales: Anywhere where gray whales and their calves may be. Monterey Bay is a good bet since its deep Submarine Canyon makes it an ideal spot for whale crossings.
Photo: Giancarlo Thomae / Sanctuary CruisesImage 20 of 22
Best time to see them: Year-round, although summer and fall is most common
Minke whales are the second-smallest baleen whales and are not endangered.
Best time to see them: Year-round, although summer and fall is most common
Minke whales are the second-smallest baleen whales and are not endangered.
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Marine life of all sorts can be seen in Big Sur, from minke whales to orcas to dolphins.
Marine life of all sorts can be seen in Big Sur, from minke whales to orcas to dolphins.
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79-foot blue whale carcass washes up on Bolinas beach
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A 79-foot blue whale washed up on Agate Beach in Bolinas on Friday morning. The cause of death remains unknown.
Scientists from the Marin Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences identified the whale as a sub-adult female. The scientists will return Saturday to perform a full necropsy, having taken preliminary skin tissue and blubber samples Friday morning.
The Marine Mammal Center first received reports of a floating whale carcass off Bolinas late Thursday evening.
"We rarely have the opportunity to examine blue whales due to their endangered status," said Barbie Halaska, research assistant at The Marine Mammal Center, in a press release. "The opportunity to perform a necropsy on a carcass in this good of condition will help contribute to our baseline data on the species."
Fluke markings on the carcass helped scientists identify the cetacean in the Cascadia Research database. This particular creature was first spotted off the coast of California in 1999 and has been seen at least 11 times since then.
Blue whales are the largest animal on earth and listed on the Endangered Species Act. According to the Marine Mammal Center, about 2,800 blue whales live off the California Coast and are visible in the summer and fall. In 42 years, the center has responded to eight cases of washed-up blue whales, including a 65-foot blue whale that appeared on Daly City's Westmoor Beach in October.
Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at [email protected].