Dead Whale Found Lodged In Alameda Dock
ALAMEDA (CBS SF) -- A dead whale became lodged in a dock in Alameda Wednesday morning, but it was unclear how the whale died.
The U.S. Coast Guard notified the fisheries service of the stranded 35-foot-long whale floating in the waters between Alameda and Oakland at about 4:30 a.m., according to Justin Viezbicke, the fisheries service's California stranding network coordinator.
The whale was found in the waters off Alameda across from Oakland's Jack London Square.
Researchers have been unable so far to determine what kind of whale it is or even how big it is, Viezbicke said. They are looking at options to pull the whale from the water for study, but such an operation would be expensive and difficult.
If possible, they would try to determine how the whale died, particularly since it was found in an area where there are numerous ways it could have died, including being struck by a ship, Viezbicke said.
Warmer water temperatures have lead to an increase in whale sightings along the Northern California coast recently, and the west coast of North America has seen an increase in the number of whale deaths this year.
By Gregg Rosenblum - Follow him on Twitter
