The carcass of a dead humpback whale appeared along a Monterey County beach on Sunday, first seen floating in the water near Bird Rock in Pebble Beach. NBC Bay Area had the news, but no cause of death is yet known.

"It was a bittersweet day on the water," Monterey Bay Marine Life Studies writes on Facebook. "We got a call from a whale watcher that a dead humpback whale had washed up nearby. We went to go collect a fluke ID, tissue samples, and to check for possible entanglement/boat strike. Unfortunately the carcass was to close to shore for us to safely navigate our boat."

But on the plus side, the group also encountered a live fin whale, the "first for the 3 week survey," and "numerous humpbacks" swimming close to shore.

Previously: Photos: Humpback Whale Breaching Off Baker Beach