A young gray whale washed ashore at Richmond Long Wharf, marking the 24th whale found dead in the bay this year, with many fatalities caused by ship strikes. Scientists have not encountered this number of whale deaths since 2019 and 2021, with concerns there may be undetected deaths. Gray whales, which undertake a 10,000 to 14,000-mile migration, are especially vulnerable to these strikes. Experts estimate up to 80 whale deaths annually off the West Coast, many unnoticed as they don’t wash ashore. Environmentalists express concern over increasing mortality rates.
"We don't actually know if this is a higher or lower year compared to other years, because our knowledge is so limited, but it's definitely - from a human perspective - it's jarring and awful to see these whales that have been struck wash up on the beaches and to see the physical manifestation of the pain and violence that they're suffering," said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.
Ship strikes are a leading cause of death for certain whale species found off the California Coast. Of the 21 gray whales that have died in the San Francisco Bay region this year, eight deaths have been linked to vessel strikes.
Scientists estimate there could be as many as 80 whale deaths a year off the West Coast of the United States from these types of strikes that humans don't see because many of their bodies don't reach land.
Gray whales have the longest annual migration of any mammal, traveling 10,000 to 14,000 miles round trip. The whales pass by California on their journey south in December and January, and again as they travel back North from mid-February to April.
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