Wayward minke whale that attracted crowds to Long Beach dies

A wayward minke whale that had captivated onlookers for days in Long Beach has died.

The 24-foot long whale, likely in its teens, washed ashore early Sunday morning, according to the Marine Mammal Care Center. They confirmed that it was the same whale that had been swimming in the harbor throughout the week.

A team of wildlife officials were called to the scene after it was found ashore.

"The team examined the carcass for injuries and other health issues and collected blood and tissue samples," said a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "They noted scrapes from rocks in the harbor, but found no obvious cause of death."

Justin Viezbicke is one of those NOAA scientists who helped examine the whale on Sunday. 

"I don't suspect anything foul play or anything manmade at this point," Viezbicke said. "I'm guessing it just, unfortunately, came out into the main channel and went the direction that went very shallow quickly and then found itself in a situation that's obviously not very good for a whale."

The whale, which was first spotted on Thursday, drew large crowds as it swam through the city's Rainbow Harbor. Prior to its death, experts previously stated that it seemed healthy and appeared to be simply passing through. NOAA officials had previously tried to coax the whale from the area by revving boat engines. 

They believe that the whale entered the harbor during high tide but struggled to leave, possibly impeded by a bridge, as whales tend to avoid swimming under shadows.

"Whether it didn't know how to get out, whether potentially the bridge or some of the shadows were creating a situation the whale was not comfortable going underneath, we don't know for sure," Viezbicke said. 

He said that it's also unclear if the whale was feeling unwell, and that they typically start to head towards shore when they feel that way. 

They plan to test for domoic acid from a toxic algae bloom that has already poisoned dozens of other marine animals in Southern California in recent weeks. 

The whale's unusual presence attracted an increasing number of spectators, particularly on Saturday when it surfaced frequently, delighting the crowd.