A dead whale was discovered near the Port of Long Beach Wednesday evening and will soon be examined by scientists before it will likely be taken out to sea to sink.

The 40-foot-long juvenile female fin whale was found by the U.S. Coast Guard at around 6:00PM near Nimitz Road and Pier T and was tied to the pier where scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) examined it late Thursday morning.

The whale was likely killed yesterday because it did not give off any odors, Alyssa Shulman-Janiger, a researcher with the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, told a group of reporters at the scene today.

It may have been hit and dragged by a large ship because fin whales don’t swim into this area or migrate here, scientists said.

Officials will get a closer look at the abrasions found on the whale on Friday to identify injuries and determine the cause of death. After its examination the whale will likely be towed offshore and sunk in the ocean.

City News Service contributed to this report.