A whale has washed ashore along the Central California coast on Thursday, Nov. 12.
The city of Santa Cruz said marine safety personnel are on scene of a live whale that’s ashore on Cowell Beach in a social media post earlier Thursday. Officials posted a striking image of the marine mammal right along the sandy beach.
Also on scene are the “appropriate marine mammal response agencies,” according to a social media post from the city.
“The immediate area surrounding the whale has been closed off. We ask the public to respect the designated perimeter, and allow responders the space they need to assess the situation.”
A report from KTVU said the juvenile fin whale has died. Lookout Santa Cruz reported that the whale did not appear to be breathing by
10 a.m. Thursday, although it did not say whether the whale was alive or dead.
Spokespeople with the city of Santa Cruz and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking more information from the USA TODAY Network.
This is a developing story.
Paris Barraza covers Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Whale washes ashore in Santa Cruz, spurs surrounding area to close
