The body of a 30-foot long whale was found under Pier 27 along the Embarcadero, just south of Fisherman's Wharf. A spokesman from the Marine Mammal Center says it appears to be a young gray whale. The authorities are thinking what to do with the whale carcass, which has begun to smell.

Let’s hope the solution will come up Friday, at a conference involving the U.S Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and wildlife experts.

“Federal law prohibits, because of the Marine Mammal Act and other laws, we are prohibited from touching or moving the animal unless directed and requested by NOAA. So we have to wait until we get in touch with them and they will determine what the next step will be from there,” says Petty Officer Kevin Neff of the U.S. Coast Guard, according to Abc7news.com

Whales are currently migrating north and are often spotted in the Bay at this time of year, according to the Oceanic Society of San Francisco naturalist Stan Minasian, who added that a dead whale was found in the Bay last year, and two were also found the year before.

“One of the theories is that these were once land animals, so when they feel they’re getting ill they’ll sometimes instinctively go toward land to die,” said Minasian according to a local source.

When authorities figure out what to do with the body, the Marine Mammal Center would be interested in conducting an examination.