Tijuana failing to alert public about whale burial sites on beaches, state says

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — As dead whales continue to wash ashore on the beaches of Northern Baja California, the state is accusing the city of Tijuana of endangering public health by burying carcasses on the beach without proper signage.

Mónica Vega Aguirre, Baja’s Secretary of the Environment and Sustainable Development, says the city of Tijuana needs to let the public know where the whales are being buried.

She says the city is not following protocols to maintain safe and clean beaches.

“There needs to be signs indicating where a whale was buried, so people can take precautions and not get near the sites. This also causes morbidity and curiosity,” Vega Aguirre said. “This applies to dead seals and sea lions as well.”

According to Vega Aguirre, burying the animals is not the issue; it’s making sure the public knows where it took place so it can avoid those areas.

“There is a responsibility to make sure everyone is informed,” she said.

A recent study by Wildcoast, a bi-national environmental group, found that so far, more than 90 whales have died while migrating north to their feeding grounds near Alaska.