Whale carcass removed from La Jolla shoreline

The decomposing carcass of a roughly 35-foot blue whale was towed away from the Children’s Pool in La Jolla to Fiesta Island over the weekend.

Once at Fiesta Island, specialists with SeaWorld and the National Marine Fisheries Service performed a necropsy on the whale, San Diego lifeguard Lt. John Greenhalgh said.

Blue whales are the largest creatures on Earth, growing to more than 100 feet in some cases.

It was unclear if the one under tow was a juvenile. The necropsy should show the cause of death. The rest of the carcass was taken to the Miramar landfill, authorities said.

Greenhalgh said the crew used a cargo net to corral the roughly 40-ton carcass, which was towed by a 32-foot San Diego Fire-Rescue Department vessel.

The carcass was spotted about 2 miles off the coast on Sunday morning.