A dead humpback whale washed up on a Northern California beach over the weekend, drawing crowds from across the Bay Area to see the massive mammal's carcass up close.
"It's pretty amazing to see the size of it," said Cupertino resident Donny Garber, who drove to Pacifica to show his grandkids the 40-foot long whale. "There is a whole world out there we don't comprehend that is beyond the shore."
A team from the California Academy of Sciences examined the whale and said they know how she likely died.
"The evidence on the whale showed signs of orca predation based on things like teeth marks on the fins and flippers," explained Mo Flannery, Senior Collections Manager of Bird and Mammals at the California Academy of Sciences.
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Flannery also said the whale had damage to her tongue, a sign of an orca attack.
Although such attacks are more common in Alaska, they happen every few years along the California coast.
For some beach goers, the whale is a source of stench. However, for scientists, she offers a wealth of information about humpbacks.
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"We were able to collect bones, collect muscle tissue and blubber samples from where the orca teeth marks are," Flannery said.
The dead whale will be towed out to sea Tuesday.
