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.
Videos: 60,000 Pound Whale Carcass Gets Cut Up And Trucked Off To The Landfill �?�
Imagine you're the person responsible for keeping San Onofre State Beach clean and usable for the general public. Usually your job isn't too hard, mostly limited to making sure visitors don't leave their garbage on the sand.
But imagine the instant headache caused by information that the 60,000-pound, 40-foot long carcass of a California gray whale had washed up on Lower Trestles beach and was beginning to decompose.
This is the position Kevin Pearsall, a public safety superintendent for California state parks in Orange County, found himself in last Sunday when a large, dead, gray whale did indeed wash up on the beach he is partially responsible for stewarding. While the whale, at first, was somewhat a curiosity—an attraction for instagraming visitors to gawk at—five days of decomposition is quickly turning the animal's body into an immensely smelly, objectively disgusting mess that needs to be cleaned up ASAP.
Sponsored message
While state officials initially considered towing the whale's carcass back out to sea, they've since decided to remove the remains "by land" because tidal movements would likely just send the whale back onto shore, the L.A. Times reported on Wednesday.
"By land" is simply a nice way of saying cutting up the carcass with construction equipment, loading the remains into trucks and carting it off to a nearby landfill.
"We continue to recommend that everybody stay away," said Pearsall to the L.A. Times on Thursday morning, emphasizing that the site is not particularly spectator friendly, especially for children.
The whale-removal work has been tasked to an emergency contractor, and will cost approximately $30,000 in total.
But again, "It's going to be something you can't un-see" said State Parks Superintendent Rich Haydon to the OC Register. "It's not going to be pretty."
It really isn't. OC Register reporter Jeff Gritchen is documenting the process on Twitter. Take a look below. Or don't, it's pretty unsettling. �?��?��?�
Getting rid of the tail #trestles @ocregister pic.twitter.com/lIHWqtWVNm
— Jeff Gritchen (@jeffgritchen) April 28, 2016
Sponsored message
Cutting up the whale #trestles @ocregister pic.twitter.com/BR9i4pYOMN
— Jeff Gritchen (@jeffgritchen) April 28, 2016
Prepping the whale #trestles @ocregister pic.twitter.com/YY5TFsggbB
— Jeff Gritchen 🇺🇸 (@jeffgritchen) April 28, 2016
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
