Published November 6, 2026
NEWPORT BEACH | SURF & COAST | NOVEMBER 6, 2026
When a whale washes ashore, the first job is keeping people safe and giving the science team room to work.
On Feb. 18, 2026, a dead humpback came ashore on the Balboa Peninsula. Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s whale response team arrived with Newport Beach lifeguards and Public Works to document the animal, take measurements and collect samples.
The city’s update put the whale near 10th Street; PMMC’s release said near 13th Street. PMMC measured it at about 29.5 feet and estimated its weight at 23,000 pounds.
Rough surf and a rising tide made a full exam unsafe that first evening. PMMC and the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance came back the next day and waited for safer conditions.
Why it matters
A stranding is hard to see, but it can give scientists rare information about the animal and the ocean it lived in. Teams collect samples and life-history data to help figure out what happened. The initial reports didn’t establish a cause of death.
The city later said shifting tides carried the whale toward Corona del Mar, where lifeguards and contractors towed it about 25 miles offshore.
Sources: City of Newport Beach update · Pacific Marine Mammal Center release
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