Hundreds of people gathered on Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz Thursday morning after a large fin whale washed ashore.
Witnesses said the whale appeared to be alive before it reached the shore, and that it was moving its flippers and blowing water out of its blowhole.
Officials from Long Marine Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute were on the scene, along with Santa Cruz police officers and California State Parks lifeguards.
Officials at the scene said they planned to remove the whale using a large flatbed truck and backhoe.
It was unclear Thursday what caused the whale’s death or where its remains would be taken.
Fin whales are the second-largest animals on Earth, surpassed only by blue whales. Adults can reach 80 feet in length and weigh up to 80 tons.
They are found in oceans worldwide, including Monterey Bay, where they feed primarily on krill and small fish.
Fin whales can live more than 80 years and are among the fastest large whales, reaching speeds of more than 20 mph.
Their populations declined dramatically during the commercial whaling era. They remain listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, although some populations have begun to recover.
This story will be updated.
