Gray whale deaths surge in San Francisco Bay to alarming levels

In the United States, the marine environment has been facing alarming challenges as evidenced by the recent rise in gray whale fatalities. Between March and July 2025, multiple reports indicated that nearly two dozen whales had died in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 21 dead gray whales documented in total. Incidents of death involve not only gray whales but also two unidentified baleen whales and one minke whale. Among the dead gray whales, the California Academy of Sciences identified vessel strikes as probable causes for at least seven fatalities, highlighting human activities' direct impact on marine life. The last reported incident occurred on July 7, 2025, when a subadult female gray whale was found under the Richmond Long Wharf, weighing in at 37 feet and in average condition. A necropsy performed on July 11 revealed hemorrhaging on the whale's side, indicative of blunt force trauma consistent with a vessel strike. Surprisingly, this sighting emerged late in the migration season, and no gray whales had been sighted in the bay for nearly two weeks prior to this event. The recent uptick in whale deaths has puzzled researchers and mirrored trends seen in previous unusual mortality events, such as those recorded in 2019 when over 70 gray whale deaths were noted along the West Coast. Marine researchers are increasingly concerned about the population decline of gray whales in the eastern North Pacific, which is estimated to have shrunk from nearly 27,000 in 2016 to around 13,230 in the winter of 2022-2023. This significant drop is attributed to various factors, including vessel strikes, climate change affecting prey availability, and a record-low gray whale calf count reported earlier in the year. The marine community is now witnessing a challenging period, with ongoing monitoring and concerted efforts needed to address these concerning trends. Animal rescue groups have expressed the necessity for boaters to navigate carefully in the bay, as the waters serve as a critical habitat for these marine species during their migration to Arctic feeding grounds. As researchers anticipate more whale sightings in the following weeks before the whales move north, there remains an urgent need for coordinated actions to protect these marine mammals and ensure the continued health of their population. The situation reflects broader environmental changes and stresses the necessity for increased awareness and conservation measures within marine ecosystems.