Milstein

Michael Milstein, spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s West Coast regional office, said test results showed the whale had high levels of domoic acid in its urine at the time of its death.

“This is consistent with the many other marine mammals we have seen affected by domoic acid produced by the harmful algal bloom off Southern California first detected in February,” Milstein said in a statement.

This is the fourth consecutive year there has been a domoic acid event, but this year’s started much earlier than previous ones, according to Milstein.

Hundreds of sea lions and dolphins have been affected so far, Milstein said.

The 24-foot-long minke whale was swimming in the harbor for several days and officials had tried to push it out to sea, only for it to come back, Milstein said.