Baby whale bites dust

Mexican environmental authorities recently buried a juvenile gray whale that died after becoming trapped on the shoreline near the border of Playas de Tijuana and Rosarito Beach.

The young whale, about 42 feet long and nearly 7 feet wide, was likely part of a larger pod of migrating gray whales that typically show up in Baja California waters this time of year, federal authorities said in an April 2 press release.

The whale apparently died after it ran aground near the beach and was unable to swim to freedom, authorities said. In the last six months, three whales have lost their lives along the shores of Baja California, federal officials said.