Fourth whale death on Oregon Coast called 'coincidence,' but gray whale numbers declining
A fourth dead whale found this month washed ashore on the Oregon Coast on Saturday, this time on Crescent Beach near Cannon Beach in Ecola State Park.
The most recent is a gray whale that has been dead for at least a month, maybe two, according to the Seaside Aquarium, which made the announcement on social media. It's not clear what killed the whale, though "a sizable shark bite which occurred after the whale died" was observed.
It joins two whales that washed ashore last week at Fort Stevens State Park — a 40-foot sperm whale that likely died after getting hit by a ship and a 12-foot baby gray whale that died very young for unclear reasons, wildlife officials said.
The fourth whale — and the first one discovered — was a gray whale that washed ashore near Winchester Bay on Jan. 11. It was a subadult male gray whale that appeared to have been preyed upon by killer whales, according to a necropsy, said Michael Milstein with NOAA Fisheries.
The trend is not unusual per se, as Oregon averages six whale strandings per year. This month is peak gray whale migration, making this a likely time to have whales wash ashore, and three of the dead mammals have been gray whales.
"While all these whale strandings may seem concerning, there is no connection between them," Seaside Aquarium wrote in its Facebook post. "It is purely a coincidence. When we experience weather patterns like we have in the past few weeks, coupled with strong westerly winds, dead marine mammals that have been floating offshore get pushed onto the beach."
Gray whales have been struggling in recent years and have seen overall numbers decline. The gray whale population is estimated at 16,650, down 38% since 2016.
"NOAA Fisheries in 2019 declared an Unusual Mortality Event for gray whales that migrate along the West Coast because of a sharp increase in strandings followed by a decline in the population," Milstein said. "The population produced the fewest surviving calves on record last year since counts began in 1994."
There is concern warming in Arctic waters, where gray whales feed, is causing an impact in the population.
"They haven't been replacing themselves, and there is definitely something going on with gray whales, which is something we're investigating," he said.
Gray whales are currently migrating south along the West Coast from the Arctic to wintering grounds in Mexico. Females often give birth along the way, nursing the calves as they go. They will return to the Arctic to feed later in the year.
Latest on what killed baby whale
A necropsy was conducted on the baby whale that washed ashore at Fort Stevens State Park, and this report was filed:
"A team from the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network led by Portland State University assisted by Seaside Aquarium and other agencies completed a necropsy Friday of a very young gray whale found stranded dead in Fort Stevens State Park on Jan. 18.
"The examination determined that the female whale was not stillborn, and had apparently begun nursing but died soon after birth. The umbilical cord was gone, but its wound had not yet healed. The team found no signs of trauma or other obvious cause of death, but took numerous tissue, blood, and fluid samples that will be analyzed for clues about why the young whale did not survive. The whale was originally reported as 13 feet, but was measured Friday as closer to 12 feet."
Plan for latest dead whale on Crescent Beach
The whale that washed ashore at Ecola State Park this past weekend, on Crescent Beach, "will be allowed to decompose in place to provide nutrients to seabirds and other animals," according to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
That follows similar action with the other three whales.
Oregon, as a rule, no longer uses dynamite to explode dead whales as it infamously did in the 1970s.
Whales that "strand" on the Oregon Coast (die and wash up)
2015: 4
Blue whale: 1
Gray whale: 1
Humpback whale: 1
Stejneger's beaked whale: 1
2016: 8
Gray whale: 4
Humpback whale: 3
Pygmy sperm whale: 1
2017: 9
Gray whale: 5
Killer whale: 1
Pygmy sperm whale: 1
Sperm whale: 2
2018: 2
Gray whale: 1
Sperm whale: 1
2019: 10
Gray whale: 8
Humpback whale: 1
Pygmy sperm whale: 1
2020: 6
Gray whale: 3
Humpback whale: 1
Sei whale: 1
Sperm whale: 1
2021: 7
Gray whale: 3
Humpback whale: 2
Sperm whale: 2
2022: 7
Gray whale: 4
Killer whale: 1
Sperm whale: 2
Data: Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Fourth whale washes ashore on Oregon Coast amid gray whale decline
