A
40-foot whale carcass has washed ashore on one of Southern California's most
pristine beaches and has begun to rot while authorities try to decide who
should remove it.
The
40,000-pound (18,143kg) male fin whale washed up in Malibu on Monday, not far
from homes owned by singers Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan.
Los
Angeles County lifeguards had the idea of trying to pull the carcass out to sea
but were unsure if they could manage the job.
County
fire inspector Brian Riley said: "Our lifeguards think this probably
exceeds our capabilities. You would need a tug boat to drag it out to
sea."
In
that case, the city was not sure who would do it, said spokeswoman Olivia
Damavandi.
The
Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbours was not responsible for
disposing of the whale because "it's on a private beach", said
spokeswoman Carol Baker.
The
beach is controlled by homeowners down to the high tide line; the state is
responsible for the tidelands, she added.
The
California Wildlife Centre examined the carcass on Tuesday and found a gash on
the young whale's back and a damaged spine, indicating it may have been hit by
a ship.
Such
accidents have become more common as increasing numbers of migrating blue, fin
and humpback whales swim to California's shore to feast on krill.
The
endangered fin whale is the second-largest animal in the world and can grow up
to 85 feet (26 metres), weigh up to 80 tons and live to be 90 years old.
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