Dead whale found lodged under bridge being towed to Angel Island for necropsy

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The Marine Mammal Center confirmed Friday a dead whale was found partially submerged under a bridge in the Oakland Estuary.

It is unclear what type of whale it is and it seems to be nearly 50 feet long.

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The Center is working with NOAA and the U.S. Army Corps of engineers to develop a plan to tow the whale to Angel Island State Park, so that scientists can perform a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

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A team from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito was on Angel Island, dissecting a dead whale.

NOAA received reports on Wednesday that a deceased whale was draped across the bow of a large ship entering the San Francisco Bay.

Species, length, age and sex is currently unknown.

The Marine Mammal Center has responded to three other dead whales in 2018. Leading causes of death of cetaceans examined by the center's research team include blunt force trauma from ship strikes, malnutrition, trauma and entanglement.

The center is grateful to Angel Island State Park, one of the many parks within the California State Park system, for their ongoing assistance in authorizing a landing area to perform whale necropsies.

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