›The carcass of a juvenile humpback whale was discovered on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. Researchers from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center collected samples from the whale on Thursday, February 20, 2026. The players Pacific Marine Mammal Center A nonprofit organization that focuses on the conservation and rehabilitation of marine mammals, including whales. Alissa Deming The vice president of conservation medicine and science at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Rory Finlayson A visitor from the U.K. who was whale watching off a pier near the stranded humpback whale.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 27, 2026 10:24 UTC