A whale washed ashore on the beach at Grand Isle near the high school Saturday.

Baton Rouge resident Christopher LeCoq was there to cover the Ride the Bull Kayak Tournament when he heard about the dead whale.

When he arrived around 1 p.m., he says about 20 people were standing around taking photos of the mammal.

“Well I’ve never seen one before, that’s for sure,” LeCoq said.

According to a biologist at the scene, the whale was a juvenile female about 6 or 7 years old. It measured in at 27 feet and 5 inches in length.

Currently the cause of death is unknown, but they did take samples of different organs and glands to see if that can be determined in a lab.

People who find themselves in predicaments like this are encouraged to contact the National Marine Standing Hotline for two reasons; to not harass any living or dead mammals, and for their own safety.

“I come down to Grand Isle a good bit for the summer with the tv show, but I’ve never heard of a whale washing up,” he said.

The whale, believed to be a sperm whale, is typically not seen closer than about 60 miles offshore.