The Brief
- Marine biologists told KTVU they have not seen this many dead whales in the region since what they call the “unusual mortality event” between 2019 and 2023.
- The causes of the most recent deaths are still under investigation, but researchers cite “vessel strikes” as the cause of three whale deaths earlier this year.
OAKLAND, Calif. – A dead whale washed up on the shores of a Bay Area beach over the weekend, marking the fifth such instance in the last week, and the 14th of the year.
The whale, which washed up on Montara Beach, was a gray whale, according to the Marine Mammal Center. The organization told KTVU they had not yet had a chance to closely examine the animal to determine a cause of death.
Researchers with the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center said they haven’t seen so many dead whales in the region since what they call the “unusual mortality event” between 2019 and 2023.…