“It’s sad…and yet it’s awesome.”

This quote came from a recent newspaper article about a beached blue whale on a Northern California beach. It was the reaction of one of the many visitors who flocked to the scene to see our largest mammal up close.

This was also exactly my reaction when a coworker and I got a chance to see the beached whale while visiting Rancho del Oso to kickoff an exhibit project. Blue whales are by far the largest mammals today, and maybe even the largest mammals ever to live on earth—much bigger than dinosaurs.

It was extremely sad to see one decaying on the beach, especially a pregnant female that was likely killed by a ship. Apparently there had been a six-month-old fetus that had already disappeared by the time we got there. However, it was also incredible to see this giant creature up close. This mix of feelings created a dilemma for us. I kind of wanted to get a picture in front of the whale, but it just seemed a little inappropriate. We snapped some pictures of the decaying animal by itself, which was also pretty morbid.

We heard from our clients at Rancho del Oso that there would be some docents at the beach to answer questions, as well as researchers. We must have been there too early in morning because the beach was pretty empty. But there were some interesting (scary?) signs posted around the paths down to the beach.

This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will stick with me for a long time. Have you had any experiences with wildlife that have been sad but awesome?