The decaying carcass of a whale that washed ashore at San Onofre State Beach recently has attracted a steady stream of lookie-loos, but a California parks official warned residents Wednesday that they might want to avoid the area very soon.

Kevin Pearsall, a public safety superintendent for California state parks, suggested that the removal process might get a little ugly.

Initially, officials considered towing the whale out to sea, but decided against it when they realized it might just drift back onto the beach. On Wednesday, Pearsall said the cetacean’s remains would be removed by land — a process that would likely involve cutting it up and carting it away piece by piece.

“If that is what ends up being done to it, it’s going to be very messy,” Pearsall said. “It’s going to be probably upsetting to kids. We highly suggest, or ask, that people stay away once the removal process is in place, because you just don’t know what you’re going to see.”

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