With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Rare Whale Washes Ashore in Venice
A rare 15-foot Stejneger's beaked whale washed ashore in Venice Beach last night.
Just when you thought the 18-foot oarfish that was found off of Catalina Island on Sunday was remarkable, here is this.
According to the Heal the Bay Facebook page:
It was a female, and she was covered with cookie cutter shark bites. The Stejneger's Beaked Whale is a Northern species that frequents our coast but is predominantly found in the waters of Alaska. It is VERY rare and almost never seen alive.
The whale is also known as the Bering Sea beaked whale or the saber-toothed whale.
Nick Fash, an educational specialist for Heal the Bay, told the LA Times that the carcass was well preserved. Evidently when the carcass was spotted late last night, crews from the Natural History Museum sped to the beach to retrieve it.