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" While whale sightings are a common occurrence on the California shoreline, nothing prepared beach-goers for the sea beast that washed up on Venice Beach Tuesday night. Heather Doyle, director of the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, noted that seeing a whale so up-close in California &amp;quot;is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.&amp;quot; Since the beached animal is believed to be a rare saber-toothed whale, the incident is all the more thrilling. Because the 15-foot-long and 2,000-pound whale&amp;#039;s body is still intact\u2014save for some bite marks from sharks\u2014scientists are excited to inspect it. Native to sub-arctic waters off the coast of Alaska, saber-toothed whales are seldom seen. They are believed to feed on small deep-water fish and squids, but further investigation will provide more information about their diets. The species is thought to migrate to Northern California waters for the winter, but there still remains the mystery of how the creatue reached Venice Beach. Yet this whale isn&amp;#039;t the only elusive sea animal visiting California this week. A few days prior to the whale&amp;#039;s discovery, marine science instructor Jasmine Santana found the 18-foot-long body of an oarfish while snorkeling off the coast of nearby Catalina Island. Scientists aren&amp;#039;t certain whether global warming is prompting these freak occurrences, but plastics polluting the ocean and increasing global temperatures are still affecting marine life&amp;#039;s ability to thrive. The whale&amp;#039;s skeleton will be placed in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, alongside the museum&amp;#039;s 4,000 other marine specimens, while its body tissue will be inspected. What do you think about this crazy discovery? Share your thoughts in the comments below. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/news/a48087/rare-saber-toothed-whale-beached-on-southern-california-coast/>