NOAA Reports Record Gray Whale Strandings on West Coast Amid Climate Concerns
A record number of dead gray whales have been found along the Pacific Northwest coast, with 16 strandings reported in Washington and several more in Oregon this spring. This marks the highest rate of strandings in decades, according to the Cascadia Research Collective. The whales are arriving with depleted fat reserves, unable to complete their migration from Baja to the Arctic. Researchers attribute this to a collapsing Arctic food chain, exacerbated by climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Oregon State University are conducting ongoing research linking these die-offs to warming waters and disrupted feeding grounds. The Eastern North Pacific gray whale population has seen a significant decline from 27,000 in 2019 to about 13,000 in 2023, with some signs of stabilization in 2024. However, the recent strandings have renewed concerns about the species' vulnerability. 
