12/30/11
The body of a young Minke whale washed ashore in the Point Reyes National Seashore this week, officials with the Marine Mammal Center said.
The dead whale turned up near Alamere Falls, north of Bolinas. Researchers from the mammal center and Academy of Sciences in San Francisco had hoped to spend Thursday taking samples from the whale, but high tides prevented access. The cause of death was not known.
The whale was believed to be a female and while an exact length was not known, it was described by onlookers as a juvenile.
"It wasn't in the best shape," said Jim Oswald, spokesman for the mammal center. "There is some question if this was an entanglement issue," he said, referring to a possible tangle with old fishing line.
Point Reyes National Seashore officials said Minke whales are seen off the coast from time to time.
"It's not like they are super rare, but then you don't see them too often either," said John Dell'Osso, chief of interpretation and resource education at the seashore.
Minke whales are considered to have a stable population throughout the world. They can grow up to 35 feet in length, weigh 10 tons and live up to 50 years old. They are often seen at the surface breaching and creating sounds including "clicks" and "boings," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service.
To learn more about Minke whales, go to the American Cetacean Society's Minke whale factsheet.
