Alameda: Dead whale surfaces in Estuary

The dead whale is the latest of several that have turned up in the Bay Area, including three found on the shores of Pacifica since April.

Federal officials were trying to figure out how to remove a dead whale that was found floating in the Oakland Estuary off an Alameda dock and could disrupt Port of Oakland traffic. The members of the ship crew were even unaware that they had propelled the whale all the way to the San Francisco Bay. But as it decomposed, it resurfaced.

Officials said it was initially reported on Monday but sank before it could be found.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene.

The measurements and the exact kind of whale specie found have not yet been confirmed either.

According to Marine Mammal Center public relations specialist Laura Sherr, scientists from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito have not identified the species, or measured the whale.

Its body surfaced Wednesday and could be seen under a pier. It is some type of large whale species, possibly a blue whale or a fin whale, Sherr said. They are looking at options to pull the whale from the water for study, but such an operation would be expensive and hard. The reason for such events is probably due to higher temperatures of the water.