6 whales found dead in Bay Area in 1 week as authorities scramble for answers

In the San Francisco Bay, six gray whales have died within a week, increasing the total to 15 for the year. Authorities and researchers are perplexed by the deaths, especially since necropsies have been difficult due to inaccessible locations and poor tissue quality from decomposition. Some whale deaths are suspected to result from vessel strikes. This unprecedented event raises echoes of past unusual mortality events in 2019 and 2021, highlighting a potential crisis for local whale populations amid rising sightings of the species in the bay.

"Necropsy response efforts and data collection have been challenging for a number of cases due to inaccessible locations that hinder full post-mortem investigations..."

"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..."

Read at ABC7 San Francisco