FOXSYLVANIA

– -You don’t often hear about blue whales washing ashore, but one did on the Northern California coast near Fort Bragg Monday night.

Authorities believe that the blue whale died after it was hit by a ship Monday.  The animal had two gashes on its back, including one that went down to the spinal column.  Last week, another blue whale had washed up on a beach in Monterey County after being hit by a ship.  The last time before that when a blue whale washed onto a California beach was in 2007.