Like Horror a Movie, Whale Carcass Keeps Coming Back

Even in death, Wally the whale can't get enough of the California coastline

The dead whale that originally washed up onto Dockweiler State Beach nearly two weeks ago, just keeps coming back. Lifeguards tow it out to sea, and a few days later it comes right back to shore in the next city over. By now, poor Wally has made it all the way down south to Dana Point.

Orange County sheriff's deputies spent about three-and-a-half hours today towing the whale's carcass back out to sea after it again drifted toward shore. Newport Beach lifeguards on Monday hauled the 45-foot humpback whale carcass back out to sea after it washed up off the coast of West Newport Beach for the second day in a row.

About 12:30 p.m. today, sheriff's harbor patrol deputies received a call from a commercial vessel that the whale -- known as Wally -- was drifting back to shore in the Dana Point area, said Carrie Braun of Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's deputies went out on a fireboat and -- using a tow lines already attached to the carcass -- pulled it about 10 miles out to sea, Braun said. It took the crew about about three-and-a-half hours to haul the whale before returning to shore, she said.

It had it drifted back into Newport Beach on Sunday, according to city spokeswoman Tara Finnigan.
Lifeguards towed the carcass about 12 miles off shore, but the currents carried it back to Newport, Finnigan said.

The trick is finding a location that lifeguards hope doesn't lead the carcass to drift back into another jurisdiction or interfere with shipping lanes, Finnigan said.

The whale was originally named Wally by biologists who were tracking its movements along the coast, although they later realized it was female. They opted not to change the name.

Related: Wally, the Misfortunate, Misunderstood Whale, Bedevils Lifeguards

City News and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.