SAUSALITO, Cali. - At least three whales have been found dead, floating along the California shoreline over the course of one week.
The Marine Mammal Center, which is based out of Sausalito, said at least six whales were spotted by their team in San Francisco Bay as of March 16.
PHOTOS: YOUNG HUMPBACK WHALE WASHES ASHORE AFTER LIKELY SHIP STRIKE IN DELAWARE
On March 25, a dead whale was seen wedged under pilings at the Phillips 66 Refinery in Rodeo. Marine Mammal Center scientists, along with the California Academy of Sciences, confirmed this as the second dead whale reported in the Bay and wider region since the start of the year.
Since the whale was difficult to access given its location, officials couldn't perform a necropsy.
Three days later, another gray whale was found dead, floating off Tiburon near the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.
SUSPECTED CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED FOR LARGE WHALE FOUND DEAD ON NEW YORK CITY BEACH
The Marine Mammal Center reported a third whale death in Pinole over the weekend. Scientists said the gray whale was found floating in San Francisco Bay near the Oakland Harbor.
The whale is being transported to Angel Island where a necropsy will be performed, the Marine Mammal Center said.
And the first whale death didn't happen too long ago either. On March 17, scientists located a dead whale in the San Francisco Bay Area near the Golden Gate Bridge.
The center said gray whales are currently heading north on their yearly migration to the Arctic, stopping by San Francisco Bay to rest and feed along their route. The whale species makes one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling about 10,000 miles round-trip and in some cases, over 14,000 miles, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This comes amid a growing concern for the gray whale species, with a population of 12,900. This is the lowest number of gray whales reported since the 1970s, according to the Marine Mammal Center.
YOUNG WHALE STRANDED ON THE BEACH IN FLORIDA IS EUTHANIZED
NOAA Fisheries said gray whales are regularly found in the North Pacific Ocean, and they're known for their curiosity toward boats along the West Coast, often acting as the focus of whale watching and ecotourism.
An Unusual Mortality Event was recently closed amid a continued population decline — over 50% since 2016, the center said.
Scientists believe changing Arctic conditions may be forcing the species to adapt to unprecedented environmental changes.
The Marine Mammal Center is an organization that was established to rescue, rehabilitate and release marine mammals who are injured, sick or abandoned. They encourage anyone who sees whales in the Bay Area to contact them.
WATCH: WHALE CRASHES ONTO BOAT OFF NEW HAMPSHIRE COAST
The nonprofit is partnering with the San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee's Marine Mammal Subcommittee to develop a pilot called "Whale Smart," which is an educational and training program for commercial vessel operators, including high-speed ferry and passenger vessels, to enhance whale safety efforts.
They hope to reduce the risk of vessel strikes and improve safe coexistence between marine traffic and whales in what's described as one of the nation's busiest waterways.
The post 3 gray whales found dead on California shoreline in the course of a week appeared first on Fox Weather
