Gray whale dies after it washed ashore Malibu beach: Experts hope to figure out why

Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Updated ·3 min read
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A gray whale became stranding on the shore of a Malibu beach in California and later died. Wildlife experts collected samples from the animal's carcass and hope to learn what caused it to beach itself.
A gray whale became stranding on the shore of a Malibu beach in California and later died. Wildlife experts collected samples from the animal's carcass and hope to learn what caused it to beach itself.

Wildlife experts are searching for answers to explain why a gray whale mysteriously washed ashore in Malibu, California shortly before its death.

The gray whale was discovered beached Saturday on the shores of Little Dume, a secluded sandy beach popular with surfers. The Malibu-based California Wildlife Center, which responded to the report, said in a Sunday post on Facebook that the whale later died.

It's not unusual for gray whales to wash up on the shores of California's beaches and experts have said there's no reason to believe strandings have increased in previous years. While plenty of theories abound, the exact reasons for the strange behavior largely elude marine biologists.

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Officials hope to discover why gray whale came ashore

Team members with the California Wildlife Center collect samples from the body of a dead whale that washed ashore Saturday in Malibu before dying. It wasn't until Sunday that the body became wedged in the sand, allowing team members to safely approach it.
Team members with the California Wildlife Center collect samples from the body of a dead whale that washed ashore Saturday in Malibu before dying. It wasn't until Sunday that the body became wedged in the sand, allowing team members to safely approach it.

Full grown gray whales average about 49 feet long and weigh approximately 90,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

At 13,000 pounds and 33 feet long, the male whale that washed ashore in Malibu and wasn't quite full grown.

When members of the California Wildlife Center first went to the beach Saturday, the whale was alive but still being tossed in the shallow water, making it unsafe to approach, the organization said in a Monday news release. The whale died later that day, but it wasn't until Sunday that it became wedged in the sand and the team was able to approach to collect samples.

The center is now working with NOAA to determine what exactly caused the animal to come ashore. The organizations were not able to conduct a full necropsy because of concerns about opening up and examining the whale on the beach, said Michael Milstein, a spokesman for NOAA Fisheries' west coast region.

"Given the limited nature of the exam, they were not able to identify a specific cause of death or reason for the stranding," Milstein said in a statement to USA TODAY.

However, the California Wildlife Center said Monday that "potential cranial trauma of unknown origin was observed."

Officials hope that the tides will carry the body back out to see, and as of Monday morning, the whale carcass appeared to be approximately 100 feet offshore, the center said.

"As the tide rises, the animal may shift in the waves so please keep a safe distance," the organization warned beachgoers.

Why do whales beach themselves?

Once common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, gray whales are now largely found only in the North Pacific Ocean, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Though they are no longer considered to be endangered, the species defined by its mottled gray body remains protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Like many species of whales, it's sadly not uncommon for gray whales to beach themselves. Almost all of the approximately 2,000 strandings a year of any species (including dolphins) result in the deaths of the animals, according to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

In August, a pod of nearly 100 pilot whales stranded themselves on the shore of an Australian beach, befuddling marine biologists and attracting international attentio when wildlife experts made the decision to euthanize them.

While there is no exact answer to explain the phenomenon, experts have long theorized that anything from sickness and injury to navigational errors could cause whales to come ashore – either intentionally or inadvertently.

Experts have also theorized that whales that become frightened of nearby predators could flee in a panic to shallow waters.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gray whale dies after beaching itself in Malibu, California