Another dead whale found floating in SF Bay
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A dead whale was located in the San Francisco Bay last week, The Marine Mammal Center confirmed on Thursday. It is the sixth dead whale the agency has responded to this year in the Bay Area.
The subadult female gray whale was found on April 30 floating near Treasure Island, according to TMMC. Scientists had the U.S. Army Corps tow the 38-foot-long dead whale to Angel Island State Park, where a necropsy was performed on May 5.
Experts with TMMC and the California Academy of Sciences noted that the cetacean was 'in good body condition with no obvious signs of trauma, including no broken bones.' There was evidence of recent feeding activity.
An official cause of death was unable to be determined due to the advanced state of decomposition of internal tissues, TMMC said Thursday.
The cause of death for all but one gray whale found dead in the Bay Area has not been determined. One gray whale that washed up near Fort Point Rock Beach on April 4 was killed by a probable vessel strike, wildlife officials said.
A minke whale was euthanized in Emeryville on April 8 after it repeatedly stranded itself in the mud during low tides. Scientists have not determined what inflictions caused the strandings that led to the subadult female's death.
The last dead gray whale that TMMC responded to was seen at Alameda's South Shore Beach on April 21. It was later determined that it was the same individual spotted floating near the USS Hornet Museum days earlier. A necropsy was able to be performed on May 1. However, the state of decomposition meant the cause of death was inconclusive.
Approximately 30 individual whales have been documented inside the San Francisco Bay in 2025. The number is 'significantly higher' than in recent years, TMMC said.
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On May 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a voluntary 10-knot Vessel Speed Reduction for vessels off the California coast. 'Large ships traveling at 10 knots or less give whales more time to move to avoid a strike, reduce the lethality of a strike should one occur, and generate less harmful ocean noise and fewer air emissions,' the U.S. Coast Guard stated.
The public is urged to report whale sightings in the Bay Area through the WhaleAlert app or through The Marine Mammal Center's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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