Scientists have revealed the cause of death for the small minke whale that was trapped for several days in a Long Beach harbor earlier this month, according to media reports.
Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed to the L.A. Times on Monday that, similar to many other sea creatures along the coast of Southern California recently, the whale died from domoic acid poisoning.
The whale captured the hearts of many who followed its tragic saga, which started at the beginning of April when, according to the NOAA, it was believed that the whale arrived in the harbor in the middle of the night when tides were high.
In the evenings that followed, the tide continued to lower, and officials with the NOAA theorized that it could’ve been a reason the whale hadn’t left on its own accord. The whale didn’t have any visible injuries or wounds, and initially appeared otherwise healthy.
-
Cell phone video captures a minke whale that appeared to be stuck in a Long Beach Marina on April 3, 2025. (Shawn Holland) -
Cell phone video captures a minke whale that appeared to be stuck in a Long Beach Marina on April 3, 2025. (Shawn Holland) -
A dead whale washed ashore in Long Beach on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (KTLA Viewer photo) -
A dead whale washed ashore in Long Beach on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (KTLA Viewer photo)
At one point, crews were removing obstacles from the harbor in hopes of encouraging the whale to leave.
While it was not immediately made clear when the whale first ingested or fell sick from the poisoning, the mammal, which was purportedly in its teens, had met its sad ending when viewers found it on the beach on April 6.
According to experts, domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin in algae that is potentially lethal to marine mammals. Last month, officials alerted the public that the toxic algae bloom, which had already affected a concerning number of mammals this year, was showing no signs of subsiding.
The Times interviewed Michael Milstein, spokesperson for NOAA’s West Coast regional office, who said their test results showed high levels of domoic acid in the whale’s urine at the time of its death.
“This is consistent with the many other marine mammals we have seen affected by domoic acid produced by the harmful algal bloom off Southern California, first detected in February,” said Milstein. “The tests are taking longer since the lab is processing so many.”
Although this is the fourth consecutive year there has been a domoic acid event, Milstein reportedly said this one started much earlier and, so far, has affected hundreds of sea lions and dolphins.
In March, officials with the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles said recent tests showed domoic acid-producing algae levels had increased. “We anticipate that it will only get worse,” the center said in a statement.
The Channel Islands Marina and Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) said warmer water temperatures, increased sunlight exposure and increased nutrients within coastal ecosystems contribute to the toxic algae bloom.
“This has probably been the most severe, particularly this early in the year,” Milstein told the Times. “How long it continues is the question.”
