There’s a Whale on the Runway at a Seaside Pacific Northwest Airport

A deceased whale has washed up on shore in close proximity to the stretch of sand used as a runway at Copalis Beach (S16) in Washington.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, November 24, 2023 at 01:01 PM ET

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Copalis Beach Airport (S16) is located 15 miles north of Bowerman Airport (KHQM) in Washington state. [Courtesy: Washington State Department of Transportation - CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED]

Key Takeaways:

A deceased fin whale has washed ashore near Copalis Beach (S16), Washington, the state's only legal beach runway for aircraft.
The Washington State DOT has issued a warning to pilots, advising caution due to the whale's presence, potential runway access restrictions, and increased pedestrian activity.
Officials plan to allow the fin whale to decompose naturally and be carried out by tides, avoiding problematic removal methods, referencing a past failed attempt in Oregon involving dynamite.

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Pilots who intend to head to Copalis Beach (S16) in Washington state might want to reconsider, as a deceased whale has washed up on shore in close proximity to the stretch of sand used as a runway.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation division, the deceased cetacean is a fin whale. According to whalefacts.org, the fin whale is a baleen whale that can grow up to 90 feet long and weigh up to 130 tons, making them the second largest whale in existence after the blue whale.