Dead whale found off Central California coast

Officials say a dead male humpback whale has been towed back to sea after it was spotted floating in waters off Santa Cruz.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA CRUZ - Marine officials say a dead male humpback whale has been towed back to sea after it was spotted floating in waters off Santa Cruz.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/23rGaeM) that walkers and bikers called University of California, Santa Cruz's Long Marine Lab after spotting the mammal about 300 yards offshore early Tuesday.

Teri Sigler, the lab's marine mammal stranding coordinator, says the city on Wednesday towed the whale 15 to 20 miles out to sea to prevent it from coming ashore near the walking trail.

Humpback whales migrate to Mexico in the winter, but they stay off the coast of California in spring and summer to feed on anchovies, sardines and krill.

Sigler says crews examined the whale but found no evidence of entanglement, ship strike or orca attacks.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

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