"At least 18% of gray whales that entered the Bay between 2018 and 2025 have died, with over 40% of the whale carcasses showing blunt force trauma consistent with vessel strikes."
"Researchers theorized that Arctic warming is disrupting food availability for the whales, driving them to hunt in new places such as the Bay, although it remains unclear what exactly they may be eating there."
"The true mortality rate for whales in the Bay may be higher, hovering somewhere between 40 and 50%, making it difficult to match photographs of living whales to dead animals due to skin decay or lost carcasses."
Gray whales have become increasingly common in San Francisco Bay, but their presence has led to a significant rise in mortality rates due to vessel strikes. A study found that 18% of gray whales entering the Bay from 2018 to 2025 have died, with over 40% of carcasses showing blunt force trauma from collisions. Arctic warming may be disrupting their food sources, pushing them to forage in the Bay, which is a busy shipping corridor. The actual mortality rate could be as high as 50%, complicating efforts to track whale populations.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]