minke

A minke whale that was swimming in Long Beach Harbor earlier this month died from domoic acid poisoning associated with a toxic algal bloom that has stricken many other sea creatures, according to officials.

The 24-foot-long minke whale was swimming in the harbor for several days and officials had tried to push it out to sea, only for it to come back, Milstein said.

Minke whales are considered the smallest of the great, or baleen, whale family, and can grow to more than 26 feet long and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to NOAA.

There are about 900 minke whales off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and California.

Despite recent efforts by marine wildlife experts to reroute the animal to deeper waters, the minke whale was found dead on Sunday, officials confirmed.