Endangered Whale Found Dead In Harbor At Port Hueneme Naval Base

PORT HUENEME (CBSLA.com) — Biologists Thursday were examining an endangered dead whale that floated into the port at the Port Hueneme naval base.

The 40-foot baby whale, believed to be a finback, appeared to have been dead for some time before floating into the harbor Wednesday afternoon, Vance Vasquez, Naval Base Ventura County spokesman , said.

When fully grown, the finback whales can reach up to 90 feet in length, the second longest in the world.

Vasquez said it may have been fatally struck by a ship.

Crews towed the animal to a nearby beach on the base where biologists from the National Marine Fisheries Service were trying to determine exactly how it died.

Once was examined, the whale will be towed out to sea 25 miles off shore.