Gray whale
Gray whale
The carcass of a newborn gray whale washed ashore at Redondo Beach on Tuesday afternoon, catching the attention of lifeguards as it floated listlessly in the surf near Avenue C.

Los Angeles County lifeguard rescue boats towed the 12-foot-long baby out to sea at about 4 p.m., according to lifeguard Capt. Eric Howell.

Pacific gray whales are in the midst of their annual winter migration from their Alaskan feeding grounds to warm Mexican lagoons, where they mate and give birth. Newborns aren't born with a thick enough layer of blubber to withstand Alaskan temperatures, but they thrive in the warm waters off Baja California. They typically bulk up quickly on their mother's fat-rich milk during the journey back up north.

Lifeguard officials worked with representatives from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service to determine where to tow the dead whale on Tuesday, Howell said.