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Gray Whale Dies After 20-Mile Inland Swim in Willapa River
Researchers said the thin whale showed no visible injuries earlier in the week, and crews are planning an examination to determine the cause of death.
- On Saturday, April 4, a juvenile gray whale died after swimming 20 miles inland into the Willapa River, according to the Cascadia Research Collective. The whale first appeared in the river on Wednesday, April 1.
- John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, attributed the death to a larger mortality event. Scientists believe limited prey in Arctic feeding grounds caused gray whale populations to decline to their lowest levels in more than 50 years.
- Although the juvenile whale appeared thin, it showed no obvious injuries and behaved normally before dying. Researchers from the Cascadia Research Collective, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Chinook and Shoalwater Bay Tribes searched for the animal throughout the week without success.
- Researchers plan to examine the carcass, while the Chinook Tribe will hold a private ceremony for the animal. This marks the third gray whale to turn up dead along the Western Washington coastline in recent days.
- NOAA Fisheries investigators concluded that "localized ecosystem changes in the whales" sub-Arctic and Arctic feeding areas led to increased mortality. The federal agency estimated about 13,000 gray whales remain, the lowest count since the 1970s.
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45 Articles
A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington river is found dead
A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the w
·Vancouver, United States
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Gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead
A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species' population declines.
·New York, United States
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Associated Press News+24 Reposted by 24 other sources
A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead
A juvenile gray whale that swam 20 miles up a river in Washington state has been found dead. A marine mammal research group suspects hunger drove the whale to new hunting grounds.
·United States
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources45
Leaning Left10Leaning Right5Center20Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 29%
C 57%
14%
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