Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

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.

News

Yes, Really: The Rotting Corpse Of Wally The Whale Washed Ashore...Again

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Deceased viral video star Wally the humpback whale is starting to overstay her welcome, even in death.

ABC-7 reports that a whale that is believed to be Wally—whose rotting, 45-foot-long corpse initially washed up at Dockweiler State Beach on July 1— arrived on the beach in Encinitas Saturday, once again complicating the lives of Southern California lifeguards. While lifeguards were not able to 100% confirm that this was Wally, who else could it be? Encinitas lifeguard Captain Larry Giles told FOX-5 that the whale corpse drifted from the north.

According to Brandon Lewis of CBS-8, lifeguards decided they were unable to do anything about removing the whale today, and will try again tomorrow.

Yeah, good luck with that! On Friday, we reported that Wally had to be towed back out to sea for a sixth time after approaching San Clemente State Beach last week. Turns out, the sixth time was *not* the charm. It's been nearly three weeks of several attempts to tow Wally out to a permanent sea grave, but she keeps coming back.

So, what gives? The Daily Breeze posits that Wally has yet to be towed out far enough, given ocean current and wind patterns. A model constructed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that Wally should have been towed at least 30 miles offshore—double the distance she was initially towed. Why? Because that's about all the lifeguard water vehicles can handle.

Sponsored message

Additionally—and this is possibly the best part—scientist Justin Greenman said that "the gases that built up inside Wally turned the whale into a sail...making it even easier for the animal's corpse to be pushed by winds and currents back toward the shore."

Perhaps it's time to chop 'er up and be done with it.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today