An adult female Gray Whale that washed up dead along Alameda South Shore Beach. This tragic event is the fourth Gray Whale stranding in San Francisco Bay this year. This whale coming up on shore rolling in the surf, it really caught the immediate attention of marine scientists and local authorities.
The Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences verified that the whale was indeed no longer offshore by their locale on Monday. It had come adrift overnight from the breaking front of Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach to a more roguish location off the coast of Alameda. The stranding news is especially concerning as it fits into a strange trend of Gray Whales across the region.
Context of the Discovery
The Gray Whale on Thursday AM, as she whale seen just before beached located near rock wall at the USS Hornet Museum. What was of particular concern to local officials and marine biologists alike was its presence so close to shore. The U.S. Coast Guard helped identify the humpback whale rolling in the surf near Alameda. This find gave them the impetus to look into its health and the causes of the animal’s death.
The scale and frequency of such strandings has mystified and alarmed scientists and conservationists. It’s the fourth Gray Whale to stranding in San Francisco Bay within a mere week-and-a-half span. National marine mammal experts are increasingly alarmed by the overall health, safety and well-being of marine mammal populations in the impacted area.
Investigation and Response
In order to find out the cause of death, a necropsy will be performed on the Gray Whale. The California Academy of Sciences and East Bay Regional Parks have partnered together to tow the whale. They are bringing it to Angel Island State Park for further examination. On Friday morning, the Marine Mammal Center sent a research vessel to Alameda. Their goal? To obtain blubber and skin samples from the whale.
In a short time, these investigations will uncover telling facts. They will assist us in understanding if there is an underlying cause for the more frequent strandings that we’re observing. Scientists believe this one whale has been seen elsewhere in the bay previously. This new finding points to a very disturbing trend in its movements.
Previous Incidents
In addition to the recent Gray Whale strandings, a juvenile Minke Whale beached itself near Emeryville earlier in April. This whale was euthanized after it began exhibiting abnormal behavior as reported by the animal caretakers. The pattern of these events indicates a deeper environmental or health-related crisis to marine life in the San Francisco Bay.
As with all Unusual Mortality Events, the circumstances surrounding these whales’ deaths are still being investigated to determine the cause. The Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences are working together to gather observations and information. They want to know whether these events are one-off occurrences. Or second, they seek to know whether they are signaling more general issues affecting marine environments.