Massive fin whale carcass removed from Torrance beach

TORRANCE, Calif. - It was a sight to see - a big fin whale beached on the sand in Torrance Saturday night. 

It was alive, but not well. 

Veterinarians said it was skinny, had some skin issues, was unhealthy and then, as Dr. Alyssa Deming with the Marine Mammal Care Center said, it "passed away later that evening."

By early morning, crowds of the curious - both young and old - gathered on the beach to see the huge mammal. 

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Some said it was sad to see. Others pointed out how rare it was to see something like this. 

Marine Mammal specialists like Keith Matassa said "they have to be pretty sick to beach." He described the whale as a sub-adult, a juvenile... essentially "a teenager."

He said lots of samples were taken to be handed off to the pathologists to determine the whale's life history, genetics and tell his story about why the mammal died.

Matassa said whales beach when they're near death because they can't support themselves out in the water. They can't swim anymore, especially a whale only second in size to the blue whale. 

Matassa said, "The blue whales are the biggest mammal on the face of the earth and the fin whale is the second-biggest mammal."

Fin whales are endangered, according to Dr. Alyssa Deming with the Marine Mammal Care Center said. 

She added,  "...that means they are protected, threatened and endangered so, there's still a lot we need to learn about the population."

Finally Sunday afternoon lifeguards and officials prepared to tow the animal out out to sea.

The fin whale was connected to a lifeguard boat by a tow line.

The idea? Tow it out into the ocean some 40 to 50 miles and let it drop to the bottom to essentially become food for other marine life.

So for the curious it was time to leave. 

Some like Savanta Smith said, "I've never seen a whale let alone a beached whale so it's crazy to see."

To Robin Haris, "I think it's a good lesson for the kids so they can learn a little about the circle of life."

The lifeguard boat, with the whale in tow, headed out to sea to the whale's watery burial ground.