Los Angeles County Lifeguard Captain Mike Inscore pumped his left fist triumphantly in the air, signaling that the humpback whale carcass had finally come loose from the rocks at White’s Point in San Pedro on Thursday, May 12. High tide was drawing near and the mass of flesh, blubber and bones had given no indication that it was willing to budge, despite the insistent tugs from a powerful Baywatch Cabrillo rescue boat. But now it was floating free from the jagged rocks for the first time since coming ashore five days earlier, and slowly being towed towards deeper water with a noisy escort of gulls who were rightfully indignant about giving up such an inviting buffet spread.

The carcass was of a subadult humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), likely a male, that had by all indications been struck and killed by a large ship and then mutilated by the propeller. It was first observed on the rocks below White’s Point late Saturday afternoon, its head and part of its torso missing. Only a relatively mild scent of whale oil emanated from the animal which had been dead for an estimated three to five days. But authorities worried that as decomposition advanced the stench might become unbearable at nearby residences and recreation areas.

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Lifeguards tied a rope around the whale during low tide in preparation for the removal attempt. About an hour and a half before high tide, Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Jeff Monroe used a paddle board to take the rope out to the rescue boat bobbing just out of reach of the treacherous rocks. As the tide continued to rise, the boat started to put pressure on the rope in an effort to pull the whale free. The operation was complicated by the fact that the ideal angle was not an option because it would have pointed the board towards another section of nearby rocks. And there was concern that the already battered carcass might not withstand the stress and come apart, which would have made removal almost impossible.

But skillful navigation by the captain finally prevailed and soon the remains of the majestic whale were on their way to a watery grave, trailing a widening slick of oil that was slowly carried away by the ocean currents.