Declining Gray Whale Numbers Driven by Arctic Resource Collapse Amid Ship Strike Risks

“When that happens, you often see #GrayWhales in a more desperate search for new areas to feed,” Calambokidis said. “That’s the most likely context for this whale.” Researchers will attempt to examine the whale, possibly as soon as Monday. #science #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #EndangeredSpecies #ecosystems #MarineLife #whales #law #EnvironmentalLaw

Gray whales, once rare in San Francisco Bay, dying there at alarming rates | California | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/gray-whales-san-francisco-bay "Researchers find increase in whale deaths in the Bay, largely because of collisions with vessels on busy shipping route" #Nature #Environment #Whales #ClimateCrisis

Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there, scientists find Gray whales migrate from Arctic waters full of food to the lagoons of Baja Mexico—but as the climate crisis gathers pace, they have been sighted foraging in unexpected places. Recently, some have begun to explore the dangerously busy waters of San Francisco Bay. Scientists at the Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences investigating an unexpectedly high death toll among gray whales have found that almost 20% of individuals seen entering the Bay died there, in large part […] https://drinkofjesus.com/2026/04/13/of-gray-whales-that-enter-san-francisco-bay-nearly-18-die-there-scientists-find/

Officials believed the population was rebounding, but the most recent count from 2025 instead showed a continuing decline. The federal agency estimated there were about 13k #GrayWhales, the lowest count since the 1970s. “A lot of these gray whales are looking very emaciated, very thin,” Calambokidis said. Their migration north is typically the most challenging period for gray #whales, the longest they’ve gone without eating, forcing the animals to use up their nutritional reserves. #Climate

The #NOAA Fisheries agency declared an unusual mortality event for eastern #GrayWhales — meaning those in the eastern #Pacific — from late 2018 to late 2023. It involved 690 gray whale strandings during that time, stretching from Alaska to Mexico. NOAA Fisheries investigators concluded the preliminary cause was “localized #ecosystem changes in the #whales’ sub-Arctic & #Arctic #feeding areas that led to changes in food, malnutrition, decreased birth rates & increased mortality.” #Climate #law

Stranded and dying, the German whale is a parable of our troubled relationship with these sea giants https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/18/stranded-dying-german-whale-troubled-relationship-sea-timmy #Whales #Germany #Oceans #Fishing #Cetaceans #Animals #Environment #Europe #MarineLife #WorldNews #Conservation #Wildlife

The #whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in the Willapa River, which feeds into the #ocean at Willapa Bay. A number of #GrayWhales are currently in the bay on their 5,000-mile (8,000-kilometer) spring migration from birthing grounds in Baja California, Mexico, north to feeding grounds in Alaska. #science #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #EndangeredSpecies #ecosystems #MarineLife #whales #law #EnvironmentalLaw

A juvenile #GrayWhale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river was found dead, & an official with a #marine mammal research group suspects #hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species’ population declines. #science #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #EndangeredSpecies #ecosystems #MarineLife #whales #law #EnvironmentalLaw https://apnews.com/article/gray-whale-dies-washington-river-ba070a4060f2f48f0e4533cc14b944b2

https://www.europesays.com/2899623/ Juvenile gray whale found dead in Willapa River, hunger suspected #AKStateWire #Alaska #america #animals #Arctic #CentralAmerica #Climate #ClimateAndEnvironment #GeneralNews #JohnCalambokidis #LatinAmerica #México #NationalOceanicAndAtmosphericAdministration #science #USNews #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #US #USNews #USTopics #USA #USANews #WAStateWire #washington #whales

Gray whales, once rare in San Francisco Bay, dying there at alarming rates https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/gray-whales-san-francisco-bay #California #Whales #Environment #Cetaceans #WestCoast #UsNews #WorldNews #Wildlife #MarineLife #SanFrancisco

Windsurfer crashes into whale at high speed "when the whale surfaced in HIS path" ? "Many gray whales now show signs of poor nutrition, and reproduction rates have dropped significantly. During the 2025 migration, only 85 mother-calf pairs were recorded moving past central California by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the lowest number on record. Scientists believe that shifting food availability in the Arctic, likely linked to the climate crisis, is a key factor." >> https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/01/windsurfer-hits-gray-whale-san-francisco #whales #habitat #MarineLife #MigratorySpecies #WindSurfing #HighSpeedRecreation #speed #surfing #beach #AllOurPlayground

Juvenile gray whale found dead in Willapa River, hunger suspected A juvenile gray whale that amazed Washington state residents after it swam 20 miles up a small river… #NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #AKStateWire #Alaska #Animals #Arctic #AU #Australia #CentralAmerica #Climate #Climateandenvironment #Generalnews #JohnCalambokidis #LatinAmerica #Mexico #NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration #Science #U.S.news #WAStateWire #washington #Whales https://www.newsbeep.com/au/588630/

The larger issue that the population of #GrayWhales in the eastern part of the #PacificOcean has faced since 2019 is reduced #food availability in the northern Bering & Chukchi seas off Alaska’s coast, John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, told AP. “Gray whales are facing a major crisis & the heart of it does seem to be #feeding on their prey in the #Arctic,” he said. #science #ClimateChange #EndangeredSpecies #MarineLife #whales #law #EnvironmentalLaw

Climate change is pushing migrating gray whales into San Francisco Bay, with deadly results. At least 18% of whales identified in the bay since 2018 have died, many from ship strikes. As Arctic food sources collapse, these 15-meter mammals are entering risky urban waters in search of food. David Brown reports for #Mongabay. https://mongabay.cc/gqzLUH #News #Whales

Awww 🥲👉🏻”’ Uwa Ede-Osifo 17:45 EDT Wednesday, 15 April 2026 Gray whales have historically been a rare sight in the San Francisco Bay. They trek from the warm lagoons of Mexico's Baja California over 10,000 miles north to the Arctic region to feast on shrimp-like animals during the summers, seldom stopping in the busy shipping corridor for prolonged periods. “ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/gray-whales-san-francisco-bay #whales #california