80-Foot Pregnant Whale Washes Up in California

Lauren Frayer

(Oct. 7) -- Hundreds of hikers, scientists and schoolkids are flocking to a northern California beach to see the carcass of an 80-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore last weekend after apparently colliding with a ship.

The dead whale and its fetus washed up Saturday on a rocky beach in Bean Hollow State Park near Pescadero. It's believed to be the first time in more than 30 years that a blue whale -- the world's largest known creature -- has washed up on U.S. shores.

Researchers collecting tissue and bone samples from the whale's 75-ton carcass concluded Wednesday that it died of blunt-force trauma, likely in a collision with a large boat, the Half Moon Bay Review reported.

"Because the whale was on its back, we couldn't tell anything as far as possible cause of death," Guy Oliver, a research fellow at the nearby Long Marine Lab, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "I'd say it probably died four to five days (before reaching the shore). The fetus was about 50 feet from the carcass, and most likely came out, after it died, from a discharge of gas pressure."

Even the whale's fetus is 17 feet long.

Adult blue whales can grow to 110 feet. "Its heart is probably the size and weight of a Volkswagen Beetle," Oliver told the newspaper.

Tourists out for a weekend stroll along the seaside in Bean Hollow State Park got a surprise last weekend when they discovered the whale's corpse. "I literally had to step back a few feet and say 'Oh my gosh! This isn't real!'" park visitor Marcia Yaw told local KTVU TV station.

Park ranger Frank Balthis said it's the first time he's ever seen a blue whale. "And what really is incredible is there's the fetus of a calf. It's one of the first times that's ever been seen," he told the same station.

One visitor left a bouquet of blue and white flowers next to the whale's body. Dozens of cars have been parked illegally and traffic is backed up along nearby U.S. Highway 1 as onlookers try to get a glimpse of the behemoth.

"Well, it's just so special," visitor Yvonne Bartel told KTVU. "It's sad ... and yet it's awesome."

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