But the theft of 300 feet of rope and an anchor that was holding the rotting carcass in place is making the task of removing it even harder.

"It’s made this operation more costly and extremely difficult," Brad Ryon, a resource manager with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said of the theft two days ago. The anchor and rope had been holding the carcass in place 150-250 yards farther away from its current location, which is 500 yards southeast of Kapapa Island.

A salvage vessel today will attempt to move the carcass, which weighs between 25 and 30 tons, off the reef flat at high tide. The carcass drifted onto the reef when it became unsecured from the anchor, said Ryon.

State and federal officials considered moving the decomposing carcass last night, but decided to wait until high tide late this morning because of better visibility.

When the whale is towed off the reef, the carcass will be taken about 20 miles north of the island, where currents should take the remains away from the state, he said. Ryon said the hope is the carcass will not break apart during the move.