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Dead Pregnant Whale Washes Ashore In San Mateo County

HALF MOON BAY (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) -- Investigators have determined a pregnant blue whale whose carcass washed ashore at Bean Hollow State Park over the weekend likely died after colliding with a ship, a park ranger said Wednesday.

The 80-foot whale, a full-grown female, apparently died of blunt-force trauma, Supervising State Park Ranger Michael Grant said.

Researchers suspect the whale hit a ship out in the ocean before washing ashore.

The carcass was first spotted Saturday morning at the southern end of Bean Hollow State Beach. A whale fetus was found about 30 to 40 feet away, Grant said.

He said that when he saw the whale on Sunday, he was amazed by its size.

"I was surprised by the enormity," he said.

The California Academy of Sciences said its researchers plan to take blubber samples, skin samples and conduct a thorough visual inspection for possible wounds. The animal will be allowed to decompose and wash out to sea once the samples are taken.

Officials say the tides make the whale inaccessible for long periods of time, making a full necropsy unlikely.

Blue whales -- the world's largest mammals -- migrate south toward Baja California around this time of year.

(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)

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