One hundred and fifty gray whales have washed up dead on the West Coast this year, with an unusually high number of strandings taking place in the Pacific Northwest, federal scientists report.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s most recent data, 11 of the stranded gray whales have washed up in Oregon and 30 in Washington.This year’s West Coast stranding total has already surpassed the records from 2021-24, though it still remains below last year’s 179 reported strandings and the 216 recorded in 2019, according to NOAA data.While this year’s stranding numbers are high, scientists aren’t stumped by the cause of the deaths.The organization’s officials say this year’s elevated deaths appear to stem from the same food-supply issues, due to changes in Arctic conditions where gray whales typically feed, that have plagued the species since 2019.The whales that have washed ashore continue to primarily appear malnourished and emaciated, according to Michael Milstein, a NOAA spokesperson.“We certainly recognize the strandings continue to be elevated in number, and we are watching that carefully,” Milstein said. “We’re continuing the counts every year to keep as close track as we can to be able to detect if something new is at play.”Keep Reading
