Whale Carted Off to Landfill After Washing Ashore in Solana Beach

Share This Article:

Members of the National Marine Fisheries Service examine the dead calf. Photo by Chris Stone

The remains of whale that washed up along a North County shoreline Friday morning were removed about 2:30 p.m. A bulldozer carried it from the beach and loaded the calf onto a flatbed truck.

Support Times of San Diego's growth
with a small monthly contribution

Become a supporter

A beachgoer found the roughly 22-foot carcass at the edge of the water in the Del Mar Shores area of southern Solana Beach shortly before 7:30 a.m., said lifeguard Sgt. Greg Uruburu.

It was not immediately clear how the whale died, but National Marine Fisheries Service staff were performing tests. The whale was photographed, measured and cut into to obtain samples.

City crews waited for low tide, then used a heavy-lifting machine to load the whale onto a flatbed truck for transport to Miramar Landfill. The personnel had the carcass off the beach by about 3 p.m., Uruburu said.

It was unclear what caused the death of the whale, thought to be 1 to 2 years old, though a National Marine Fisheries Service employee told lifeguards it appeared to have been undernourished, the sergeant said.

A National Weather Service high surf warning for the beaches will remain in effect until late Sunday afternoon.

—City News Service and Chris Stone contributed to this report.