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First Dead Gray Whale of 2025 Found Emaciated on Marin Beach

The discovery coincides with near-record sightings of migrating gray whales in the Bay Area, raising concerns about the species' health and safety.

A 36-foot dead female gray whale rests on sand at Black Sands Beach in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, north of Shelter Cove, Calif., on Monday, March 31, 2025. Experts from The Marine Mammal Center and partners at the California Academy of Sciences were to perform a necropsy, or animal autopsy. A cause of death is not known at on Monday. (The Marine Mammal Center via Bay City News)
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The region’s first dead gray whale of the year, which was spotted on March 29, 2025.
The gray whale was spotted on March 29, 2025.

Overview

  • A dead gray whale washed ashore at Black Sands Beach in Marin County on March 30, marking the first gray whale stranding in the Bay Area this year.
  • The whale, a 36-foot female, appeared severely emaciated, though the exact cause of death remains undetermined pending further diagnostic tests.
  • Recent sightings of gray whales in the San Francisco Bay have reached near-record levels, with up to nine whales observed in a single day last week.
  • The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences conducted a necropsy to investigate the whale's death, as climate change and food scarcity in the Arctic continue to threaten the species.
  • Conservationists urge the public to report whale sightings via the Whale Alert app to help mitigate risks such as ship strikes during the whales' annual migration.