Dead minke whale washes ashore in Long Beach after several days in harbor

LONG BEACH, Calif. - A dead whale that washed ashore in Long Beach is confirmed to be the same rare minke whale that was spotted swimming in the harbor over the past week, according to officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

What we know:

The NOAA on Sunday confirmed it is the same whale and said the organization will conduct an autopsy in the coming days to determine how the whale died.

The rare 25-foot whale was first spotted last Sunday in Rainbow Harbor. 

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Marine wildlife experts helped direct the whale out of the harbor by removing booms near the entrance, but the whale turned around and came back. 

While experts said they weren't worried, they believed the whale would eventually make it out on its own.

Possible link to domoic acid 

Dig deeper:

NOAA took samples from the whale, which will take a week or two to return.

"They’re obviously very busy at the lab. Domoic acid is certainly a question that we’re asking about this whale. There was no obvious cause of death," said Michael Milstein, a NOAA spokesperson.  

Domoic acid is a possibility because the neurotoxin is currently affecting so much of our sealife.

Marine mammal experts say domoic acid is responsible for the unprecedented toxic algae bloom that’s caused aggressive sea lion attacks and killed 60 dolphins along the Southern California coast. It’s also poisoning some of our seafood.

"It is a multi-toxin event. Both of them affect fish and shellfish and can lead to warnings for human consumption. So if you catch your own fish, probably not a good idea to eat it right now unless you’re getting it from the grocery store." said John Warner with Marine Mammal Care Center. 

The California Department of Public Health has issued an advisory for paralytic shellfish poisoning. A warning is currently in effect for Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego Counties.

The backstory:

Minke whales are smaller than gray or humpback whales, but they can still grow to be about 35 feet long and weigh as much as 20,000 lbs. 

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The whale initially did not appear to be in distress, but a local marine tour guide expressed concerns that the whale might be feeling the effects of a toxic algae bloom.

What we don't know:

The whale's cause of death is unknown.