Days later, we were met with the news that an adorable minke whale had been spotted roaming the waters of Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach. Its presence attracted a small crowd of fans, eagerly awaiting its return to the open sea. Sadly, on Sunday night, the heartbreaking news was confirmed that the animal had not managed to safely return to its natural habitat.
Initial reports from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) stated that the animal was not injured, which led to the assumption that Bob had arrived at the harbor during high tide on Tuesday afternoon/evening.
In the following days, scientists and wildlife experts tried to guide the whale to open waters successfully, only for it to return to the shallow waters of the harbor. According to statements made to KTLA, they believe that a bridge above the harbor was to blame for the whale’s refusal to swim back into deeper ocean waters.
NOAA has now reported that they believe Bob likely died of starvation after spending days aimlessly swimming without a source of food in the shallow harbor waters. They will also investigate whether there are any signs of poisoning due to red tide.
If you come across an injured, stranded, or beached marine animal in Los Angeles or nearby areas, you can contact the California Wildlife Center for expert help by calling (310) 924-7256. For other SoCal counties, you can find the full contact list here.