Latest news with #TheMarineMammalCenter
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mystery as six gray whales found dead after unusually high influx into San Francisco Bay
Six gray whales have died in the San Francisco Bay Area region in the last week, officials have said. With the additional deaths, the total number of stranded whales this year has reached 15. Of those, 14 are gray whales, according to the California Academy of Sciences and partners at The Marine Mammal Center. 'In 2025, 14 gray whales and one minke whale have died in the greater San Francisco Bay Area region, with the cause of three of the gray whale deaths determined to be suspect or probable vessel strikes,' the academy wrote in a press release Thursday. 'The Academy and partners at the Center have not responded to this many dead gray whales since the height of the Unusual Mortality Event in 2019 (14 individuals) and 2021 (15 individuals).' However, the cause of the deaths of the other whales who died between May 21 and Wednesday are undetermined. Those animals died in multiple locations, including Berkeley, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Alcatraz. 'Necropsy response efforts and data collection have been challenging for a number of cases due to inaccessible locations that hinder full post-mortem investigations, as well as poor tissue quality from advanced decomposition, and the lack of available locations to tow for further investigation,' the academy noted. However, there have also been an unusually high number of sightings around the bay, including 33 individual gray whales. That's more than five times the number of whales that were sighted last year. Of those, approximately one-third have stayed in the Bay Area for at least 20 days, some of which were emaciated. Researchers are still working to determine what's driving the massive spike in sightings, and it is expected that gray whales will remain in the area for another one or two weeks before continuing their annual northern migration to feeding grounds in the Arctic. Dozens of gray whales have died along Mexico's Baja California peninsula since the year's start, and only five mother and calf pairs were identified in Laguna San Ignacio, where wintering whales gather. One of the main causes of death for whales on both coasts are vessel strikes, and the academy and the center pointed out gray whales can be even tougher to spot in the water than humpbacks and other coastal whales. To reduce the risk, they've altered ferry lanes based on sighting data and increased communication via the U.S. Coast Guard, so boaters can be 'whale aware.' If people do see a whale in the bay, they can report the sighting using the Whale Alert app, and people who find dead marine mammals are asked to contact the Academy's department of Ornithology and Mammalogy.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
6 gray whales found dead in a week in San Francisco Bay
May 30 (UPI) -- Six gray whales have been found dead in the wider San Francisco Bay Area in the last seven days, raising the total number of dead whales in the region to 15 for the year. According to a joint Wednesday statement from the California Academy of Sciences and The Marine Mammal Center, the most recent gray whale was found on Wednesday. The carcass was found near Alamere Falls at Point Reyes National Seashore, they said. Two whales were discovered on Monday, one near Alcatraz and the other near Point Bonita. A whale was discovered near Berkeley on Saturday, one near Fisherman's Bay on May 22 and one near Bolinas on May 21. Of the six whales, only the one found near Bolinas -- a yearling -- received a partial necropsy, the results of which were inconclusive, the organizations said. For the year, there have been 14 gray whales and one minke whale found dead in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organizations said suspected or probable vessel strikes appear to be the cause of death for three of the gray whales. "The Academy and partners at the Center have not responded to this many dead gray whales since the height of the Unusual Mortality Event in 2019," the statement said. The UME saw hundreds of gray whales become stranded along the west coat of North America between Dec. 17, 2018, to Nov. 9, 2023. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported a total 690 whales died during the UME in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The centers said they had responded to 14 stranded whales in 2019 and 15 in 2021. The increase in deaths comes amid what the organizations described as "an unusually high number" of whale sightings this year in the San Francisco Bay Area. They said 33 individual gray whales have been confirmed in the bay area via photo identification this year, which is up from six gray whales sighted in the bay for all of last year. "The reason or potential reasons behind the massive spike in sightings this year are still being investigated by researchers," it said. "It is expected that gray whales will be in the bay for another one to two weeks before continuing their annual northern migration to Arctic feeding grounds."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Alarming number of whale deaths reported around San Francisco Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO - An alarming number of gray whale deaths have been reported around the San Francisco Bay Area this year, with six carcasses discovered over the past week alone. According to staff at the California Academy of Sciences, a research institute and natural history museum based in San Francisco, 15 stranded whales, made up almost entirely of gray whales, have been found dead across the region since the start of 2025. The figure is the highest since 2021, when what was called an Unusual Mortality Event was underway. According to NOAA Fisheries, during a period from 2019 to 2023, the population experienced a decline of roughly 45%, which was investigated by biologists. A research team determined that ecosystem changes in the whales' feeding areas ultimately led to changes in food availability, malnutrition and a decrease in birthing rates. Dungeness Crab Die-off Underway Along Us West Coast Marine scientists say it is difficult to determine what is causing the latest surge, with only a few cases tied to vessel strikes. Staff from The Marine Mammal Center also noted an unusually high number of sightings of live marine animals in the San Francisco Bay, with 33 individual gray whales spotted since January. "By comparison, only six gray whales were sighted in the bay in 2024. Roughly one-third of these whales have stayed in the bay for at least 20 days, and their overall body condition has ranged from normal to emaciated. The reason or potential reasons behind the massive spike in sightings this year are still being investigated by researchers. It is expected that gray whales will be in the bay for another one to two weeks before continuing their annual northern migration to arctic feeding grounds," staff stated. Spectators Gather As Killer Whale Washes Ashore Florida Coast Researchers in Mexico, Canada and the United States are said to be actively monitoring the population and have also reported low calf counts. The whales will soon feed around the Arctic before making their roundtrip along the U.S. West Coast back down to the warm waters off Mexico for the winter. NOAA estimates the population is around 10,000, which is significantly higher than the North Atlantic right whale count, which is only estimated to be near 400 individuals. The North Atlantic right whale species has simultaneously experienced a significant die-off, which has been tied to entanglements or vessel article source: Alarming number of whale deaths reported around San Francisco Bay Area
UPI
3 days ago
- General
- UPI
6 gray whales found dead in a week in San Francisco Bay
Six gray whales were found dead in the wider San Francisco Bay Area in the last seven days. Photo by Marjorie Cox/The Marine Mammal Center/ Release May 30 (UPI) -- Six gray whales have been found dead in the wider San Francisco Bay Area in the last seven days, raising the total number of dead whales in the region to 15 for the year. According to a joint Wednesday statement from the California Academy of Sciences and The Marine Mammal Center, the most recent gray whale was found on Wednesday. The carcass was found near Alamere Falls at Point Reyes National Seashore, they said. Two whales were discovered on Monday, one near Alcatraz and the other near Point Bonita. A whale was discovered near Berkeley on Saturday, one near Fisherman's Bay on May 22 and one near Bolinas on May 21. Of the six whales, only the one found near Bolinas -- a yearling -- received a partial necropsy, the results of which were inconclusive, the organizations said. For the year, there have been 14 gray whales and one minke whale found dead in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organizations said suspected or probable vessel strikes appear to be the cause of death for three of the gray whales. "The Academy and partners at the Center have not responded to this many dead gray whales since the height of the Unusual Mortality Event in 2019," the statement said. The UME saw hundreds of gray whales become stranded along the west coat of North America between Dec. 17, 2018, to Nov. 9, 2023. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported a total 690 whales died during the UME in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The centers said they had responded to 14 stranded whales in 2019 and 15 in 2021. The increase in deaths comes amid what the organizations described as "an unusually high number" of whale sightings this year in the San Francisco Bay Area. They said 33 individual gray whales have been confirmed in the bay area via photo identification this year, which is up from six gray whales sighted in the bay for all of last year. "The reason or potential reasons behind the massive spike in sightings this year are still being investigated by researchers," it said. "It is expected that gray whales will be in the bay for another one to two weeks before continuing their annual northern migration to Arctic feeding grounds."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Whale deaths in SF Bay Area surge to 14
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Five more gray whales were found dead in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past week, the California Academy of Sciences confirmed Wednesday. So far in 2025, scientists have responded to 14 individual dead whales across the region. On May 21, a yearling gray whale was found dead in Bolinas, according to Cal Academy. Another dead gray whale washed up at Southeast Farallon Island in Fisherman's Bay on May 22. That same day, a dead subadult female gray whale was located in Berkeley. On May 26, two more dead gray whales were found at Point Bonita and Alcatraz Island. Causes of death were not determined for the latest dead whales, Cal Academy said. According to officials, data collection has been challenging 'for a number of cases due to inaccessible locations that hinder full post-mortem investigations, as well as poor tissue quality from advanced decomposition, and the lack of available locations to tow for further investigation.' Three of the 14 dead whales this year were found to have died from suspected vessel strikes, experts with Cal Academy and The Marine Mammal Center said. One minke whale was euthanized in Emeryville after it repeatedly beached itself in the mud during low tides. The number of individual dead gray whales stranded in the Bay Area this year has not been seen since the height of the NOAA-declared 'unusual mortality event' that devastated populations along the west coast between 2019 and 2023, according to experts. The population of eastern North Pacific gray whales dropped 45 percent during that period, Cal Academy said. Earlier this year, scientists in Southern California reported record-low gray whale calf counts, according to the academy. Researchers are investigating what is behind the spike in gray whale sightings within the San Francisco Bay this year. In 2024, only four individuals were spotted. So far in 2025, scientists have photo-identified 33 individual gray whales swimming in the bay. 'Roughly one-third of these whales have stayed in the bay for at least 20 days, and their overall body condition has ranged from normal to emaciated,' Cal Academy said. Experts believe the gray whales will move out of the SF Bay in one or two more weeks as the species continues its northern migration to the Arctic. 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.
