SEATTLE — A dead gray whale washed ashore on a Fox Island beach 5 miles off Gig Harbor on Saturday, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The whale was about 41 feet long and matched the profile of an emaciated whale spotted in several areas throughout southern Puget Sound in the past few weeks, said Jennifer Becar, communications manager with the department. The gray whale was last seen swimming March 27 in Mayo Cove.
Officials are investigating what led to the whale’s death.
Cascadia Research Collective and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife carried out an external exam and took samples Sunday, Becar said.
Cascadia Research Collective and WDFW are conducting a more thorough exam and necropsy Tuesday, said John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the collective.
Officials moved the whale from the shore to an undisclosed location for further examination, Calambokidis said.
An increase in whale strandings has been reported along the west coastline of North America from Mexico to Alaska since 2019, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In 2022, 105 stranded gray whales were reported in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., according to NOAA. As of March 14, 25 stranded gray whales had been reported so far in 2023. The agency has declared an unusual mortality event. The last unusual spike was reported in 1999.
Preliminary findings show several of the whales found stranded since 2019 were emaciated, but additional research is needed to understand why gray whales are ending up stranded, NOAA said.
To see the agency’s map of recorded whale strandings, visit st.news/whalestrandings.
