ROCKPORT — It was worse for wear than when it was first spotted, and the stink was strong enough to make a 4-year-old girl beg her mother to leave the beach. But the dead 55-foot finback whale that washed up on the rocky shores of Rockport still attracted a steady stream of onlookers Tuesday afternoon.

Barring high tides with strong waves, that spot could be the whale’s final resting and exhibition space: Rockport officials have decided to let it decompose naturally.