Humpback whale carcass washes ashore in Huntington Beach

A young dead female humpback whale washed ashore in Huntington Beach early Saturday morning.

The 20-foot whale washed up at around 5:30 a.m. around lifeguard tower #5, just south of the pier, said Marine Safety Battalion Chief of Huntington Beach’s lifeguard unit Doug Leach. The morning high tides helped strand the dead animal further on shore.

Leach said humpback whales don’t regularly wash up on Huntington Beach’s shores.

“Most of our strandings are going to be smaller mammals: sea lions, seals, your occasional dolphin,” Leach said.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) both responded. NOAA is in charge of determining the young marine mammal’s cause of death.

Maintenance crews with the local Public Works agency will be clearing the mammal from the beach Saturday evening, according to Leach.

He added that the public should notify local authorities if a stranded animal is encountered.