OAKLAND—A dead female whale washed up near the Oakland waterfront on Saturday, January 7.

Locals spotted the whale floating on its back near the Oakland Harbor’s Howard Terminal. The cause of death is currently unknown.

According to Marine Mammal Center representative Giancarlo Rulli, the U.S. Coast Guard reported the floating whale carcass to the organization on Saturday.

Officials from the Marine Mammal Center determined the 40 to 60 foot sub-adult female to be either a blue or fin whale that was “in good body condition” before its death.

Members of the U.S. Army Corps transported the carcass to a pier at Blunt Point on Angel Island to avoid interference with ships. Local marine biologists will perform a necropsy on the whale, though officials have been instructed to wait until weather conditions improve. The location of the dissection is said to provide “ample space” for the large whale carcass to be studied.

The postmortem examination was originally going to be open to the public, but on Tuesday, January 10, Rulli explained that:

“The necropsy will eventually take place on a remote beach west of Blunt Pt. that’s unfortunately inaccessible to the public and accessible by boat only. The unpredictable weather and king tides are currently delaying any response.”

The procedure will provide scientists with information on the species and other oceanic conditions, as well as determine the cause of death.