Dead gray whale found floating in Budd Inlet near Olympia

OLYMPIA — A nonprofit that works with marine mammals says a 40-foot gray whale was found dead near Olympia.

The Olympian reports after the adult male whale was found near West Bay Marina over the weekend, it was towed to an undisclosed beach and examined Sunday, according to Jessie Huggins, a stranding coordinator with Cascadia Research.

She says officials with the state Department of Fish & Wildlife also were involved in examining the whale.

She says the whale showed no signs of a ship strike or entanglement, but it was extremely emaciated due to malnutrition.

More than 30 gray whales have died this year in Washington state.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has declared an “unusual mortality event” because of the large number of gray whale deaths.