BREMERTON, Wash. — Gray whale deaths continue to climb along Washington’s coast and in the Puget Sound, with researchers now documenting 22 strandings statewide this year as concerns grow over changing conditions in Arctic feeding grounds.
The latest confirmed death involved a male gray whale found near Bremerton on May 20, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Researchers said the whale showed signs of malnutrition and blunt force trauma.
Scientists with the Cascadia Research Collective and NOAA Fisheries said malnutrition has been the most common finding among whales examined this year. At least four whales also showed injuries consistent with vessel strikes, while one had evidence of a recent entanglement…