Photos: Massive endangered whale washes up on Oregon shore

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A dead, entangled 46-foot male whale has washed ashore on the Oregon coast.

On Monday afternoon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that a stranded fin whale had washed up at Sunset Beach State Park.

According to the agency, fins are the world’s second-largest whale species behind blue whales. Fin whales are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and therefore protected by the federal government.

Seaside Aquarium told Nexstar’s KOIN that the surf from the ocean waves pushed the whale, leading beachgoers to believe it was still alive. The aquarium said one visitor “unfortunately” removed the object that entangled the animal before authorized responders arrived.

“Our best chance of learning what happened to this endangered species is to examine the carcass, but any disturbance or interaction with the carcass compromises that opportunity,” NOAA said.

The agency advised Sunset Beach State Park visitors to stay at least 100 yards away from the whale, and any other marine mammals that are washed ashore.

While NOAA has yet to share the initial findings of its necropsy, Seaside Aquarium reported that the whale was “extremely underweight and had recent interactions with orcas, evidenced by fresh rake marks.”

Crews also said the whale’s abrasions were superficial.