50-ft Fin whale dead on San Diego beach, Ca. Video's

The Associated Press

Published: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011

A dead whale was discovered washed up in a cove on the north side of the property of the Point Loma wastewater treatment plant sometime Saturday. John Gastaldo/Union-Tribune — John Gastaldo
POINT LOMA — A 50-foot dead fin whale washed up at Point Loma Saturday afternoon near the city sewage treatment plant, providing observers with a rare, full-bodied look at a mammal known as the “greyhound of the sea” because they can swim so fast.

Fin whales, which can weigh up to 70 tons, usually reveal comparatively little of their long, sleek frame when they’re at the surface.

The cause of the whale’s death was not immediately known.

The fin is the second-largest species of whale, after the blue whale, and can grow to about 75 feet in the northern hemisphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mammals, which can swim at least 23 mph in short bursts, are on the U.S. Endangered Species List.

Workers at the Point Loma Waste Treatment Plant on Gatchell Road, near the southern tip of the peninsula, notified the Coast Guard about 2 p.m. that a large whale was beached in a nearby cove, in about four feet of water, San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Nick Lerma said.

Lerma said it appeared that the whale had …

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Removal of dead whale from Point Loma beach set for midweek

Video’s at 760kfmb.com/