Starvation has decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast. Can the giants ever recover?
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Starvation has decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast. Can the giants ever recover?

LA Times  

When large numbers of gray whales began washing up along North America’s Pacific Coast nearly six years ago, marine scientists could only speculate at the reason: Was it disease? Now — after more than 700 gray whales have washed ashore in Mexico, Canada, California and other U.S. states since late 2018 — new research published Tuesday in PLOS One suggests the culprit was a critical drop in food availability in the mammals’ Arctic and sub-Arctic seafloor feeding grounds. Explore the section “Did something happen to their food supply in those years that put them under acute nutritional stress and which resulted in a lot of whales being in really poor condition and dying?” said study co-author Padraig Duignan, a pathologist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. Every year, California gray whales make a roughly 13,000-mile round-trip journey from the chilly waters of the Arctic to the balmy lagoons of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, and back again.

Research Population California Gray Died Whale Pacific Coast Whales Gray Whales Raverty  pacific  gray  research  recover  whales  researchers  summer  marine  decimated  population  starvation  whale  really  coast  giants  died

History of this topic

Crowd forms on Alaskan beach after giant endangered whale carcass washes ashore
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Crowd forms on Alaskan beach after giant endangered whale carcass washes ashore

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An endangered fin whale …

Carcass of endangered fin whale washes up near Alaska’s largest city
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Carcass of endangered fin whale washes up near Alaska’s largest city

Associated Press  

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An endangered fin whale that washed up near a coastal trail in Alaska’s largest city has attracted curious onlookers while biologists seek answers as to what caused the animal’s death. Fin whales are the second-largest whale species, according to NOAA Fisheries, and fully grown can reach up to 85 feet long and weigh between 40 tons and …

Critically endangered whale species rebounds slightly
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Critically endangered whale species rebounds slightly

Raw Story  

One of the world's rarest whale species has seen a slight population rebound, according to data released Tuesday, though experts warn it remains at serious risk of extinction. The number of North Atlantic right whales rose to 373 in 2023, up four percent from a recent low of 358 individuals in 2020, according to the latest estimates by scientists at …

35- to 40-foot fin whale washes up on Torrance Beach; public asked to keep a distance
5 months ago

35- to 40-foot fin whale washes up on Torrance Beach; public asked to keep a distance

LA Times  

Officials are asking beachgoers to keep a distance from a 35- to 40-foot fin whale that washed ashore on Torrance Beach on Saturday evening and later died. “Due to its size & location it is expected that the whale will remain on the beach while responders create a plan to remove it,” the Los Angeles County Lifeguards group said in …

Unprecedented numbers of gray whales are visiting San Francisco Bay, and nobody quite knows why
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Unprecedented numbers of gray whales are visiting San Francisco Bay, and nobody quite knows why

LA Times  

When Bill Keener started working at the Marine Mammal Center as a field biologist in the 1970s, there were no whales or dolphins in San Francisco Bay. The humpback whales may also be a good news story — although, unlike porpoises, they probably were never permanent residents of San Francisco Bay. As with the humpbacks, there is no historical record …

At least 26 pilot whales die after mass stranding in Australia
8 months, 2 weeks ago

At least 26 pilot whales die after mass stranding in Australia

Al Jazeera  

Exact reasons for beaching unknown but mammals are highly sociable and may follow podmates into danger. At least 26 long-finned pilot whales have died, but several others were rescued, after 160 of them were stranded over a large area in Western Australia. https://t.co/H26PrW3f2o — Shark Safety WA April 25, 2024 Mass strandings of pilot whales are not uncommon in Australia …

Dead whale on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island is first of the year, stranding group says
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Dead whale on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island is first of the year, stranding group says

Associated Press  

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A dead humpback whale that washed ashore on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island on Thursday was the first such death in the state this year, according to a marine mammal rescue group. Waves crash around a dead humpback whale that washed ashore on Long Beach Township in New Jersey’s Long Beach Island on April 11, …

Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast
9 months ago

Another endangered right whale dies after a collision with a ship off the East Coast

Associated Press  

An increasingly deadly year for the endangered North Atlantic right whale got worse this week when another member of the species was killed in a collision with a ship, federal authorities said Thursday. The most recent right whale to die was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, Virginia, last Saturday, the …

West Coast whale population recovers 5 years after hundreds washed up ashore
9 months, 1 week ago

West Coast whale population recovers 5 years after hundreds washed up ashore

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — Federal researchers indicate the gray whale population along the West Coast is showing signs of recovery five years after hundreds washed up dead on beaches from Alaska to Mexico. The agency has estimated the total number of eastern north Pacific Gray whales to be between 17,400 to 21,300, an increase from an estimated 13,200 to 15,960 whales last …

The gray whale die-off on West Coast is over, NOAA declares
9 months, 3 weeks ago

The gray whale die-off on West Coast is over, NOAA declares

LA Times  

The Peterson family view the carcass of a gray whale found in the Bolsa Chica State Beach tidal inlet in Huntington Beach on Feb. 8. The “unusual mortality event” that led to hundreds of gray whale carcasses washing up on the West Coast shoreline has ended, researchers say. California Decaying gray whale washes up on Orange County beach The carcass …

Decaying gray whale washes up on Orange County beach
11 months ago

Decaying gray whale washes up on Orange County beach

LA Times  

Desmond Peterson, 7, of Long Beach views the carcass of a gray whale that washed up on Bolsa Chica State Beach on Thursday. A gray whale that had probably been dead for weeks washed up on an Orange County beach Thursday. The decaying carcass was found on Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, where officials told onlookers to keep …

Scientists may have finally decoded mystery behind whales washing up dead along Pacific coast
1 year, 2 months ago

Scientists may have finally decoded mystery behind whales washing up dead along Pacific coast

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

More than 50 whales dead on Australian beach after mysterious mass stranding
1 year, 5 months ago

More than 50 whales dead on Australian beach after mysterious mass stranding

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nearly 100 pilot whales stranded …

Volunteers working to save nearly 100 beached whales in Australia, but more than half have died
1 year, 5 months ago

Volunteers working to save nearly 100 beached whales in Australia, but more than half have died

Associated Press  

PERTH, Australia — Volunteers worked frantically on a second day Wednesday to save dozens of pilot whales that have stranded themselves on a beach in Western Australia, but more than 50 have already died. Nearly 100 long-finned pilot whales, stranded themselves Tuesday on the beach by the city of Albany, on the southern tip of Western Australia, south of Perth. …

Humpback whale found on beach died after entanglement in creel lines, tests show
1 year, 8 months ago

Humpback whale found on beach died after entanglement in creel lines, tests show

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

First dead gray whale of 2023 washes up on California beach; scientists concerned about trend
1 year, 9 months ago

First dead gray whale of 2023 washes up on California beach; scientists concerned about trend

LA Times  

A dead gray whale was found on Bolinas Beach in Marin County on March 25. The whale’s death is the latest in a concerning trend in recent years, which prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2019 to declare an “unusual mortality event” for the species living and migrating along North America’s Pacific Coast, after an alarming number of …

Stunned whale-watchers witness birth of gray whale calf off Dana Point
2 years ago

Stunned whale-watchers witness birth of gray whale calf off Dana Point

LA Times  

Stunned whale watchers off the coast of Dana Point got more than their money’s worth when a gray whale gave birth to a calf right beside their boat. “I’ve always wanted to see a whale birth but I never thought it would actually happen.” Fox said the wrinkly newborn looked like a “little pickle” and that the cow and calf …

Marine researchers notice strange whale behaviour off Victoria's coastline
2 years, 1 month ago

Marine researchers notice strange whale behaviour off Victoria's coastline

ABC  

As a pod of "pretty dolphins" pop up next to the research boat David Donnelly is skippering, even the seasoned researchers seem caught by a wave of delight. Mr Donnelly, a marine researcher with the Dolphin Research Institute, has been tracking the movements of dolphins and whales in the waters off Victoria's coast since the 1980s. "It's quite clear that …

477 whales die in ‘heartbreaking’ New Zealand strandings
2 years, 2 months ago

477 whales die in ‘heartbreaking’ New Zealand strandings

Associated Press  

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Some 477 pilot whales have died after stranding themselves on two remote New Zealand beaches over recent days, officials say. The whales beached themselves on the Chatham Islands, which are home to about 600 people and located about 800 kilometers east of New Zealand’s main islands. “Although they are natural occurrences, they are still sad and …

Gray whale numbers along North America’s west coast down
2 years, 3 months ago

Gray whale numbers along North America’s west coast down

The Hindu  

The number of gray whales migrating along the Pacific Coast of North America has steadily declined by nearly 40% from a 2016 peak, and the population produced its fewest calves on record this year, according to U.S. research released on Friday. The 38% drop from the population's 2016 high of 27,000 whales to 16,650 this year resembles previous fluctuations but …

Gray whales continue to wash up dead and emaciated, but causes remain elusive
2 years, 3 months ago

Gray whales continue to wash up dead and emaciated, but causes remain elusive

LA Times  

When gray whales began washing up dead in large numbers in 2019, many scientists hoped it was just a short-term phenomenon, and that the leviathans would quickly recover and rebound. But three years later, the die-off continues for gray whales living and migrating along North America’s Pacific coast. “We have observed the population changing over time, and we want to …

Twenty nine pilot whales die after becoming stranded on New Zealand beach
2 years, 9 months ago

Twenty nine pilot whales die after becoming stranded on New Zealand beach

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Twenty nine pilot whales have died on a beach in New Zealand after being washed …

Gray whale deaths: How humans and climate change hurt oceans
3 years, 5 months ago

Gray whale deaths: How humans and climate change hurt oceans

LA Times  

SAN IGNACIO, Mexico — For thousands of years, the gray whales of the eastern Pacific have undertaken one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal — starting in the cold waters of the Arctic, then down past the densely populated coasts and beaches of California before finally finding refuge in the warm, shallow estuaries of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. …

How we delved into the odyssey of whale deaths, even as a pandemic raged
3 years, 5 months ago

How we delved into the odyssey of whale deaths, even as a pandemic raged

LA Times  

Balvi Vasquez, left, reaches toward a mother gray whale and her calf as The Times’ Carolyn Cole captures photographs in Baja California, Mexico. Originally, we had a plan to follow the whales on their yearly migration, starting in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, where these whales appear every spring to bask and reproduce in warm, protected inlets. Carolyn and I aborted …

Gray Whale Found off Namibia Coast Swam Almost Halfway Across the World, Set Migration Record
3 years, 7 months ago

Gray Whale Found off Namibia Coast Swam Almost Halfway Across the World, Set Migration Record

News 18  

A 40-foot long gray whale has become the first animal from its species to swim more than 26,876 kilometers, the longest distance ever recorded in their history. According to a study published in Biology Letters on Wednesday, a group of scientists from Durham University and Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, show how they found a gray whale off the …

Shrinking giants: North Atlantic right whales getting tinier
3 years, 7 months ago

Shrinking giants: North Atlantic right whales getting tinier

The Hindu  

One of the giants of the deep is shrinking before our eyes, a new study says. The younger generation of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are on average about three feet shorter than whales were 20 years ago, drone and aircraft data show in a study in Thursday’s journal Current Biology. “This isn’t about ‘short’ right whales, it’s about …

A dozen dead whales have washed ashore in the Bay Area
3 years, 7 months ago

A dozen dead whales have washed ashore in the Bay Area

LA Times  

The number of dead whales washing ashore in the San Francisco Bay Area this spring continues to climb, with another massive gray whale seen rolling in the surf at Pacifica State Beach on Friday afternoon. The latest — a 47-foot-long adult male — is the 10th gray whose carcass has ended up on Bay Area shores. In 2019, NOAA began …

A whale carcass was towed to sea in San Diego. Now it’s back, rotting on an O.C. beach
3 years, 7 months ago

A whale carcass was towed to sea in San Diego. Now it’s back, rotting on an O.C. beach

LA Times  

Scientists from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach take samples and study an endangered fin whale that washed up at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach. “It seems to be a mystical ambiance of just, ‘Wow, it’s so huge.’” The dead whale was first discovered May 8 after the Australian Royal Navy’s HMAS Sydney berthed at Naval …

Fears grow for starving Wally the whale, lost in the Mediterranean
3 years, 8 months ago

Fears grow for starving Wally the whale, lost in the Mediterranean

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fears are growing for a young whale lost in the Mediterranean sea, with scientists worried …

Three more whales wash up dead near San Francisco — eight total in five weeks
3 years, 8 months ago

Three more whales wash up dead near San Francisco — eight total in five weeks

LA Times  

Three more gray whales have washed up dead in the San Francisco Bay, adding to the fatal beachings of five others in the region over the last month, including a 46-foot fin whale, scientists from the Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences said Thursday. In 2019, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it was going …

‘It’s alarming’: 4 gray whales found dead on Bay Area beaches in 9 days
3 years, 9 months ago

‘It’s alarming’: 4 gray whales found dead on Bay Area beaches in 9 days

LA Times  

An adult female gray whale that washed up on California’s Muir Beach on Thursday is seen in a photo provided by the Marine Mammal Center. Four dead gray whales have washed ashore on San Francisco Bay Area beaches in the last nine days, with experts saying Friday one was struck by a ship. “It’s alarming to respond to four dead …

More than a dozen whales found dead on New Zealand beach
4 years, 2 months ago

More than a dozen whales found dead on New Zealand beach

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than a dozen whales have died after becoming stranded on New Zealand’s North Island, …

As gray whale migration reaches its peak, scientists fear another unexplained die-off
4 years, 11 months ago

As gray whale migration reaches its peak, scientists fear another unexplained die-off

LA Times  

A dead gray whale on Limantour Beach on May 23, 2019, in Point Reyes Station, Calif. Scientists fear a repeat of whale die-offs this year after the deaths of three of the creatures. As California gray whales wind their way south along North America’s Pacific coast — from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to their spring destination in the …

Whales saved by dozens of beachgoers after being washed ashore in Georgia
5 years, 5 months ago

Whales saved by dozens of beachgoers after being washed ashore in Georgia

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It was a spectacular moment.” In …

More whales found dead: Is this the whalepocalypse?
5 years, 8 months ago

More whales found dead: Is this the whalepocalypse?

Salon  

A 41-foot long female gray whale washed up on Ocean Beach in San Francisco last Monday, marking the ninth dead whale to be found in the San Francisco Bay Area since March. The Marine Mammal Center says it is noticeable that gray whales are in poor condition during year’s migration, and they suspect they might be having issues finding food. …

Two dead gray whales in San Francisco Bay speak to unusual migration season
5 years, 9 months ago

Two dead gray whales in San Francisco Bay speak to unusual migration season

Salon  

Last week, two stranded gray whales were found in the San Francisco Bay. However, the two deaths along with the fact that two whales were in the San Francisco Bay in mid-March indicates a strange shift in gray whale behavior for some scientists. Bill Keener, a marine biologist at Golden Gate Cetacean Research, told Salon the number of gray whales …

Discover Related