52-Foot-Long Dead Fin Whale Washes up on San Diego Beach; Cause of Death Unclear

Researchers from NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center inspect a 52-foot-long female fin whale that died and washed onto Mission Beach in San Diego on Dec. 10, 2023. K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP

SAN DIEGO—A 52-foot-long (16-meter-long) dead fin whale washed up on a San Diego beach over the weekend and officials said there was no obvious sign of the cause of death.

The young female whale was found Sunday in Mission Beach and was later towed out to sea, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.