For those who could stand the smell, and stifle their gags, it was something to behold - the sad but riveting sight of a 12-meter whale lying dead on its side on a Southern California beach known for its surfing.

Dozens of gawkers stood upwind of the carcass on Tuesday, examining it, marveling at it, and of course taking selfies with it.

"You should be paying homage to such creatures that are so intelligent and so wonderful," said Cynthia Stern of Santa Monica, who drove 120 kilometers to place an orchid by the whale and press homeopathic remedies onto its rotting blubber. "You could start to feel the positive energy as you walked down the beach. Even though it's a carcass, it's profoundly positive - and anyone who went there is blessed."