A dead whale that washed ashore in Imperial Beach on Sunday is starting to attract a good deal of onlookers as authorities begin to determine how they’ll dispose of it.
"It's something that the kids can see, get up close to it -- which they can't do with a normal whale,” said Marty Carranza, a resident of Imperial Beach referring to the 40-foot carcass of whale which washed ashore about a mile north of the U.S. border with Mexico.
“They just love it. The kids love it," Carranza added.
One thing that they might not love, however, is the smell of the dead whale which is believed to be same one that was towed away from a rocky cove on Point Loma last week.
Morbid as all this may seem to some, onlookers have been swarming to the scene.
They've come on horseback or hiked almost a mile from a parking lot where the trail head is blocked to vehicles.
NBC San Diego was told one parent was even posing his kids for pictures on the carcass and another person was apparently seen jumping up and down on the body.
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While seeing the whale up close might be interesting to some, authorities aren’t having as much fun in determining what to do with it. A plan is not yet in place to remove the carcass.
Some onlookers who spoke to NBC San Diego had a few ideas.
"Well, hopefully there's a pretty high tide that takes it. They tried dragging it out once. I mean, not much they can do anymore. Wait for it to go away,” said Cesar Camacho.
In the end, whatever the method, it's on the State Parks Department to handle.
One woman told NBC San Diego she asked a ranger whether the area of the beach where the whale is would be closed for the sake of sanitation or safety, to which she was told no.
However, though it might not be a sanitation issue, curious beach goers who approach the whale do so at their own risk, and likely to the offense of their senses.
