Dead Fin Whale Removed From California Beach

Wildlife officials said the whale looked very sick and had signs of a parasitic disease.

A juvenile fin whale that died on shore in Torrance, Calif., on Aug. 11, 2024. The fin whale is the second largest whale, second only to the blue whale. David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

TORRANCE, Calif.—Lifeguards and wildlife officials cleared a dead whale from Torrance Beach Aug. 11 after performing a partial necropsy on the 51-foot mammal that washed up on shore on the evening of Aug. 10.

The fin whale, second largest mammal after the blue whale, was towed back to sea after being beached for more than 12 hours, authorities said.