The gray whale was up against rocks along Point Isabel in Richmond.
Experts from the Marine Mammal Center are inspecting the carcass to determine how it died.
MORE: 6 whales found dead in Bay Area in 1 week as authorities scramble for answers
There's been a sharp increase this year in dead whales, with 17 spotted locally so far.
Biologists say a later migration may be sending whales into the bay looking for food, increasing the possibility of a ship strike.