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Crew tows whale carcass in Malibu out to sea

Published: December 9, 2012 Comment on this article

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — A tugboat towed the decomposing carcass of a whale from a Malibu beach out to sea, several days after it washed ashore and created a stench near the homes of movie stars and millionaires.

photo - A woman walks her dog past a dead young male fin whale that washed up Monday between the Paradise Cove and Point Dume areas of Malibu, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The rotting carcass near celebrity homes is causing a gigantic cleanup problem as authorities try to decide who's responsible for getting rid of it. Los Angeles County lifeguards planned to try to pull the 40,000-pound carcass out to sea, perhaps at high tide Thursday, said Cindy Reyes, executive director of the California Wildlife Center.( AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A woman walks her dog past a dead young male fin whale that washed up Monday between the Paradise Cove and Point Dume areas of Malibu, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The rotting carcass near celebrity homes is causing a gigantic cleanup problem as authorities try to decide who's responsible for getting rid of it. Los Angeles County lifeguards planned to try to pull the 40,000-pound carcass out to sea, perhaps at high tide Thursday, said Cindy Reyes, executive director of the California Wildlife Center.( AP Photo/Nick Ut)

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The remains of the 40,000-pound fin whale were towed Saturday about 20 miles from shore by a crew hired by a homeowners' association, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Brian Riley said.

The 40-foot-long juvenile male washed ashore Monday near Point Dume, attracting onlookers who wandered down the narrow beach to look at the remains — white bones, rolls of blubber and the tail flukes trailing along the water's edge. Massive estates line the cliffs high above the beach.

Jonsie Ross, marine mammal coordinator for the California Wildlife Center, said an inspection of the whale's injury suggests it was hit by a ship.

No government agency took action to remove the decomposing whale, and it appeared the job would be left to Mother Nature.

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