Overview

• Of the 14 whale fatalities this year, 13 were gray whales and one minke whale was euthanized after repeated beachings.
• Testing identified suspected vessel strikes as the cause for three gray whale deaths while other cases remain undetermined.
• Officials have recorded 33 individual gray whales in the Bay this year, compared with just four sightings in 2024.
• Roughly one-third of the whales have stayed in Bay waters for over 20 days and displayed body conditions from normal to emaciated.
• Postmortem investigations have been hindered by inaccessible shorelines and advanced decomposition, preventing definitive cause determinations.