In the past week, six dead gray whales have been discovered around San Francisco Bay, with their carcasses found from May 21 through Wednesday. Notably, one whale washed ashore at Point Reyes National Seashore on Wednesday, while two others were found the same day on Alcatraz and Point Bonita. Unfortunately, most of these cases did not involve necropsies to determine the cause of death. A partial necropsy conducted on a yearling whale found in Bolinas yielded inconclusive results, and results for the latest whale remains pending.
This year has seen an unprecedented number of gray whale sightings in the bay, raising questions about the reasons behind both the spike in live whale sightings—33 so far this year compared to just six last year—and the number of deceased whales. So far, a total of 14 gray whales and a minke whale have died in the San Francisco Bay Area, with three confirmed fatalities resulting from boat strikes. Despite this troubling trend, researchers remain uncertain about the causes of these deaths, with investigations ongoing.
Gray whales, which once thrived in waters across the Northern Hemisphere, are now predominantly found in the North Pacific Ocean, where they undertake an extensive 10,000-mile migration annually. The whales, often spotted during whale-watching excursions, can reach lengths of up to 49 feet and weigh around 90,000 pounds. They are known to be curious around boats, increasing their risk of vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear—two of their primary threats. It is anticipated that gray whales will remain in the bay for another week or two before resuming their migration to Arctic feeding grounds.
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