Wendy Schouviller

The 40-foot California Gray Whale washed up near Seal Rock sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning.

David Woody, a Beach Ranger for the Oregon State Parks Department, said the adult California Gray Whale washed up on shore near Seal Rock sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

Woody said it appeared the animal had been dead for at least a few days. He said the Coast Guard actually spotted it about five miles offshore Saturday afternoon.

Woody reports that the whale had washed ashore started coming in about 7:00 a.m. Sunday.

Members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network based out of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport were headed to the location to examine the whale. They will have to figure out how to move the animal from its current location before any close examination would be possible. The whale is apparently in a particularly rocky portion of the beach, making access to it difficult.

The researchers will decide if necropsy will be performed on the animal to determine an exact cause of death. Woody said there were no obvious signs of trauma to the whale's body that he could see.