California Dreamin'

Carcass fails to sink, washes up in Malibu
http://venturacountystar.com/news/2007/oct/02/dead-blue-whale-comes-ashore-again/
By Zeke Barlow (Contact) Tuesday, October 2, 2007

The dead blue whale that first excited scientists as a rare chance to study the world's largest animal has become a bit of a headache after the carcass didn't sink as biologists had predicted.
The 70-foot mass of rotting flesh washed up onto Broad Beach in Malibu on Sunday afternoon after bobbing in the Santa Barbara Channel for the past week.
Though the whale was promptly towed 11 miles back out to sea, some fear it could wash up on shore again in the near future.
"We just wish the darned thing would sink," said Joe Cordaro, a wildlife biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. He has been tracking the whale since it was found dead in the channel last month and was towed to a beach on Naval Base Ventura County. Scientists suspect the whale was killed after a collision with a ship. It did not have any signs of domoic acid poisoning or problems from Navy sonar.
After an extensive necropsy on Sept. 22, the intestines were removed and buried on the beach, and large chunks of blubber were sliced off.
The whale was then towed about 10 miles out to sea, where it was expected to sink and be eaten by fish.
Scientists had cut such a large hole on the side of the animal and taken so much mass away, they assumed it would fill up with water and fall to the bottom of the ocean.
It didn't.

Snip
As it was, oils from the whale had spread about a mile up and down the coast, stinking up Zuma Beach, Atkins said.
When the lifeguards came back to wash their wet suits, it stunk up the whole building, Atkins said.
Cordaro is hoping it won't drift to shore again, but he's not too sure. "It's the whale that won't sink."

***
Many years ago I dreamed of a California coast, that I was viewing with a young man (who was quite confused about himself but otherwise good) that was clean and beautiful, with the bluest of ocean, warm golden sun and many dozens of blue whales, healthy and loved.

Wow.... how far from this "meant to be" reality is it today? How symbolic this event.

Is the whale looking for San Francisco, Hollywood, or San Diego? Or further north to Oregon? Is the whale corpse sleepless in Seattle?? Who knows, who knows...