Fin whale calf dies on Stinson Beach

Everything dies, that's what I'm told.  

It doesn't make it any less heartbreaking.  

Last week a baby whalie, a fin whale calf, beached himself on Stinson Beach, and died.  I drove so fast around all the hairpin turns on Hwy 1, thinking I was on my way to a whale rescue.  He was alive when I left.  He died shortly thereafter.  
I have learned so much about whales since.  First, this: when they are beached, the pressure of their weight crushes their organs.  They're meant to be floating out in the ocean.  Their bodies can't take laying on their side.  Second, this: when they are beached, there isn't really any hope.  Maybe high tide will carry them out.  If not, they die, or are euthanized.  They are simply too big, and too heavy, for any machinery to move them out into the deep water.  Third, this: fin whales are the second largest mammal.  They are beautiful.  They are majestic.  They will die, and it will break your heart.  

I stayed with the little guy for the whole day.  Teams of marine biologists and vets showed up, with lots of rubber boots, rubber gloves, and knives. The day became all about the science.  It's incredibly rare to have a whale like this one die on the beach in the presence of people.  Generally they wash up already dead.  The biologists were happy to have a fresh whale to deal with, and went to work taking measurements and samples.  They will try and figure out how he died from everything they studied that day, and the samples will go on to educate others in the future.  I assure you the individuals working on this guy were nothing but respectful.  They, like me, were in awe of this creature, in awe of the unheard of opportunity to see him up close.  I wish wholeheartedly the circumstances were different.  They worked fast.  They wanted to get him in the ground before dark.  They did.    

I'm sorry these pictures are so bloody.  But the thing is, whales are really, really big.  Which means they have a lot of blood.  I put them in a slideshow so you'll only see the goriness of it all if you want to.  If you're eating right now, I'd probably wait until you're done to look.  

The San Francisco Chronicle published a story the day after he died.  Then because they gave me the ok to stay up there for the necropsy, they ran a follow-up story with some of the less gory photos.

Palo Alto bans car-dwelling

The San Francisco Chronicle sent me down to Palo Alto last week to cover a city council meeting where they were voting to ban car-dwelling.  Some homeless people in the area own vehicles and are able to live out of them and sleep in them, but the city wants to force them out.  After an extremely long meeting where almost 80 people spoke out, most against the ban, the council voted 7-2 in favor.  Before the meeting I met Gator, who was born and raised in Palo Alto and now lives in his RV, as well as Chuck, who lives in his car. When the meeting got out close to midnight I followed Chuck to where he parks his car every night to see how he turns his car from a vehicle into a motel.  I went back early the next morning to see him and Gator again, but couldn't find Gator.  When the ban goes into effect in six months, Chuck and Gator may have to find a new place to live.  

Chuck moving his belongings to the front seat to sleep in the back.

Gator at a protest in front of City Hall before the meeting.

Marin headlands