NEWPORT, Ore. - A dead whale that washed up along the Oregon coast over the weekend is certainly drawing a lot of attention.

From afar, the whale looks like a large, black rock and up close, it resembles a bloated innertube.

"I think it's really interesting because I've never seen a whale before," said onlooker Veronica Snow. "This is my first time."

The 37-foot, 50,000-pound whale washed ashore south of Newport on Saturday and ever since, people have been wanting to get an up close look at the carcass and see what it feels like to touch it.

Some onlookers were even spotted taking home pieces of the dead whale, but you should be warned that doing so is illegal and could land you in trouble, according to Morris Grover with Oregon State Parks.

As for how the whale died, that is still to be determined. A state whale expert said it appears the whale has a gash on its head, possibly from hitting a boat, but biologists have been unable to get a closer look.

"You don't take a 50,000-pound whale and roll it over so you can see the other side," said Grover.

If the tide does not carry the whale's body back out to sea, the plan is to bury the carcass somewhere along the beach. The next high tide is expected on Wednesday.