Extremely rare saber-toothed whale washes ashore in Venice Beach

Rare and terrifying fish keep popping up in California. In the same week that an 18-foot oarfish was found near Avalon, California, an extremely rare saber-toothed whale washed ashore in Venice Beach.

The whale, commonly called a saber-toothed whale or Stejneger’s beaked whale, typically remains in subarctic waters. The 15-foot long whale was collected by the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, and scientists will perform a necropsy to learn what they can about the animal.

Via the Los Angeles Times:

Covered in bites from so-called cookie-cutter sharks, which feed by gouging round plugs of flesh from larger animals, the carcass was extremely well-preserved, Fash said. The whale was probably alive when it washed ashore, he added.... The whales are believed to dive deep in subarctic waters to feed on small deep-water fish and cephalopods, such as squid. Males are known for their tusk-like teeth that jut out from a portion of their lower jaws. The teeth of females and juveniles, though, remain hidden beneath gum tissue of the mouth.

Stay away from the ocean, kids.