Very early Sunday morning a dead gray whale was reported floating in the east channel of the Duwamish River, located in Seattle’s Elliott Bay. Near Terminal 30 and slowly drifting north towards the open waters of the bay, the carcass ended up at the Coast Guard dock. Members of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network began the complicated process of coordinating a response so that the animal could be necropsied, in hopes of determining cause of death. Because of the location in the shipping channel, there was concern the gray might be a ship strike victim, perhaps brought in on the bow of a container vessel. In January of 2015, a healthy female gray was killed by a ship propeller and found dead underneath the state ferry dock. Sno-King MMR’s Rachel Mayer requested photos from the Coast Guard to identify species and evaluate the state of decay.

When it was determined not possible to perform the necropsy on nearby Port of Seattle property, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement offered to tow the 39 foot animal to another location. Numerous phone calls later, a suitable site was found, quite some distance away.

The Coast Guard secured the whale overnight and it was towed on Monday to Whidbey Island for examination and natural decomposition on the beach. A scientific team consisting of Cascadia Research, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations, SR3 and World Vets examined the animal late in the day, when the tide receded to allow access to the carcass. The whale was in poor body condition and thin, with only a small amount of woody debris and no food in the stomach.

Cascadia reports that gray whales are facing significant challenges finding food in 2018 and 2019. This is the 7th stranded gray whale in Washington State already this year. Researchers with the organization will compare markings on this adult male to ID photos in their gray whale database to establish if this is a known whale in their long-term study.

Read the post here by Cascadia’s Jessie Huggins, with additional photos and information about the whale.

Tags: gray whale

       
Yesterday, Seal Sitters volunteers again contributed to the efforts to monitor the struggling gray whale, which had been floating in Central and South Puget Sound for 15 days. The whale was unable to dive.

Based on a report to OrcaNet and from other members of the marine mammal stranding network, SSMMSN first responders sighted the gray at the entrance to Elliott Bay and tracked the emaciated whale’s movements throughout the afternoon, as it drifted slowly in the currents between West Seattle and Magnolia’s Elliott Bay Marina. Our observations led to a firm belief that the whale had died, as we could see no blows during our lengthy observation.

A number of pleasure craft and tour boats violated the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) by approaching the whale within mere yards. This, long before official confirmation of the animal’s death. The MMPA law requires a minimum distance of 100 yards from whales. Yesterday’s photos of those vessels in violation are being forwarded to NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement.

As the current drew the whale closer into the very busy shipping lane, it was narrowly missed being struck by tug boats towing barges, container ships and the Washington State Ferries.

Late in the afternoon, a US Coast Guard boat on the water confirmed that the whale was deceased. Because the flukes and pectoral fins are so low beneath the surface, they are not accessible at this time to secure a tow line and enable a necropsy.

Should you spy the whale, please continue to report sightings in a timely manner to OrcaNet’s email so that the stranding network is aware of the location.

If the animal is sighted along the West Seattle shoreline, please contact our hotline as well at 206-905-SEAL (7325).

This has truly been a team effort of the stranding network groups and the public of Puget Sound. Learn more about the work of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network here.

UPDATE: MAY 12, 2016
A necropsy was performed by Cascadia Research with assistance from the Navy, WDFW, NOAA, and the Pt. Townsend Marine Science Center. Due to trauma or illness (as of yet undetermined), gases were trapped in the organs of the whale which prevented the almost 30 ft female juvenile from diving and foraging. The whale was emaciated. Tissue samples have been sent out for tests. For more info and photos, please click here.

Tags: gray whale

Late this afternoon, biologists from WA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Marine Mammal Investigations and Cascadia Research Collective, members of NOAA’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network (MMSN), were able to get health assessment video of the gray whale languishing in Puget Sound. Once again, Seal Sitters MMSN volunteers provided real-time tracking of the whale’s whereabouts.

NOAA MMSN will be issuing a media statement regarding the gray, which Seal Sitters will share here upon its release.

It is imperative that ALL watercraft stay a minimum of 100 yards from this whale, including paddle boarders and kayakers. Please stay back. Vessels too close will cause undue stress for this ailing whale, protected by Federal law - the Marine Mammal Protection Act - from harassment. Violations will be reported to NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement.

The stranding network has been able to monitor the location of the whale since its first sighting late last week, keeping the Coast Guard updated so that alerts can be issued when the whale drifts into the very dangerous shipping lane. Timely reports from the public have played a large role in enabling this on-going team effort by the various members of NOAA’s West Coast MMSN.

Tags: gray whale

Early this morning, Seal Sitters’ first responders followed up on a report by a pilot of a gray whale languishing in the waters south of Alki Point.

After repeated scans of the surface of Puget Sound’s Central Basin from the Alki Lighthouse to Lincoln Park, the whale was sighted a couple of hundred yards off of Beach Drive - the mottled gray hump of the whale’s back barely visible in the mottled gray waters.

Last night, there was an unconfirmed report of what was believed to be a gray whale, slowly drifting south from Shilshole near Seattle’s Golden Gardens park. Members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network were put on alert and kept in close contact regarding the animal’s location.

Throughout the morning, Seal Sitters’ volunteers kept a wary eye on the lethargic gray, who was gradually straying out into the main channel shipping lane and at risk for ship strike. Kristin Wilkinson, NOAA’s regional stranding co-coordinator for the West Coast MMSN, was alerted and sent out a notice to the Coast Guard, who broadcast that mariners should avoid the area and keep a distance of 100 yards at all times. Read more about ship strike dangers on our website. Identification photos were sent to Cascadia Research to see if the whale has been in Washington waters before.

The whale was last sighted on the opposite side of the channel and was being monitored offshore by a State Parks ranger.

Each year, gray whales make the long, strenuous migration from Mexico’s Baja California lagoons, headed for summer feeding grounds in Alaska. Along the way, a number of those grays venture into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the inland waters of Puget Sound. Some, like the whale known as Patch, return annually to forage on the nutrient-rich beds around Whidbey, Camano and Hat islands.

Others are not strong enough to make the 10,000 mile-long journey and perish in our waters. The outcome for this latest gray whale does not look encouraging.

Thanks to our Seal Sitters volunteers who peered through binoculars for hours, keeping tabs on the whale’s behavior and bearings to help keep the animal safe from danger.

HOW TO REPORT WHALES AND OTHER CETACEANS
All sightings of whales and other cetaceans should be reported as soon as possible to Orca Network via email. Gray whales have mottled gray skin with a distinctive series of knuckles along the back. Humpbacks and other whales have dorsal fins.

If you see a whale entangled or stranded onshore - please call the NOAA West Coast MMSN Hotline immediately at 866-767-6114, giving location and species information. Gray whales do strand somewhat frequently in our waters.

If a whale is along the shoreline of West Seattle, please call the Seal Sitters MMSN hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325) and then contact Orca Network. This will help enable our first responders to obtain an i.d. photo if at all possible.

Tags: gray whale

The surprise discovery of a gray whale swimming inside Seattle’s Ballard Locks this week startled onlookers and created a media buzz. The thin whale has been seen around the locks since March 21st.

All sightings of whales and other cetaceans should be reported as soon as possible to Orca Network via email. The photo at left shows the typically mottled skin of a gray whale with a distinctive series of knuckles along the back. Humpbacks and other whales have dorsal fins.

If you see the gray whale back in the Locks - or any whale entangled or stranded onshore - please call the NOAA West Coast MMSN Hotline immediately at 866-767-6114, giving location and species information. Gray whales do strand somewhat frequently in our waters.

If a whale is along the shoreline of West Seattle, please call the Seal Sitters MMSN hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325) and then contact Orca Network. This will help enable our first responders to obtain an i.d. photo if at all possible.

Spring marks the return of gray whales to Puget Sound. Before continuing their 10,000 mile-long migration from the sheltered breeding grounds of Mexico’s Baja California lagoons to their summer feeding grounds in Alaska, these gentle giants detour into our inland waters to forage.

Grays are baleen whales, who forage by scooping up and straining huge quantities of ocean bottom sediment (which contains invertebrates) through their comb-like filters. Along the shores of Whidbey, Hat and Camano islands are beds of ghost shrimp, a favorite food. At low tide, you can often see hollowed out areas of beach where the whales have been feeding. Sadly, a whale can also scoop up human trash that settles on the sandy bottom.

Each year, a number of gray whales take up temporary residency in north Puget Sound, sometimes wandering down into central and south Puget Sound. This spring offers a wonderful opportunity to get out on whale watch boat and observe them from a safe distance. It is imperative that their foraging behavior not be disrupted, so they have the energy to continue their monumental journey north. All marine mammals are protected by Federal law from harassment, the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

UPDATE 4/20/16
A dead gray whale was sighted on the 18th, floating off the waters of Vashon Island. Today, a team from Cascadia Research Collective necropsied the whale, a young male, who has been confirmed as the same gray seen in the Ballard Locks. Read Cascadia’s report here.

Tags: gray whale

The dead gray whale discovered Wednesday night, wedged between pilings underneath Seattle’s WA State Ferries dock, was killed by a large ship propeller.

Yesterday, a necropsy exam was performed by biologists from NOAA’s marine mammal stranding network, led by Cascadia Research and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with support from interns, marine mammal vets and volunteers from Sno-King MMSN and Seal Sitters MMSN.

The 6 deep gashes (photo above) along the right side of the female whale caused extensive damage while the animal was alive in Puget Sound. At least one rib was sheared off. It is estimated the 30’5” juvenile died quickly and less than 36 hours prior to her discovery.

A thick, oily layer of blubber (right) and food in the intestines indicated the two - three year old whale was in excellent health. It is a bit unusual for a gray whale to be inside Puget Sound in January. The gray was assumed headed south to Baja California’s warm winter breeding grounds after a successful season feeding in the rich waters of Alaska’s Bering and Russia’s southern Chukchi seas. Watch a video here that shows typical feeding behavior of a gray whale, scooping up large mouthfuls of ocean sediment and straining invertebrates through a comb-like filter of baleen. In the spring, on their 10,000 mile roundtrip migration back north, it is common for gray whales to venture into inland waters to feast on ghost shrimp around Whidbey Island.

Washington State averages about a half-dozen gray whale strandings each year. Thanks to the Port of Seattle for providing a secure location to perform the examination. The whale will be sunk to decompose and nourish the marine ecosystem.

Read Seal Sitters “Gray Whale Facts” here.

Tags: gray whale, necropsy

(see updates at end of story)
The Everett gray whale stranded yesterday in Tulalip Bay on the Tulalip Reservation. Members of Seal Sitters, Sno-King Marine Mammal Stranding Network and WDFW responded to the scene. The mud flats of the bay restricted access to the whale which lay exposed to the extreme sun and heat. As the tide came in, however, the Tulalip Bay Fire Department zodiac managed to get a pump close enough to keep the whale wet and cool. A borrowed canoe allowed a stranding team member to get sheets to the scene so the whale could be covered and more protected. The tide finally covered the whale about 2pm. The Tulalip tribes honored the whale and prayed for him to get well. The repeated stranding behavior of this adult whale is indicative that he is most likely dying. The gray was spotted by NOAA on Saturday at 4:30 at Spee-Bi-Dah heading north into Port Susan. See related gallery of photos.

UPDATE:
7/13/10 Transient orcas were seen attacking the gray whale yesterday afternoon (Monday). Related story and video.
7/12/10 The gray was spotted this morning (Monday) at 6:30 am heading east toward Camano Island.

Tags: gray whale, stranded gray whale, everett gray whale

A gray whale stranded yesterday morning in Everett off Harborview Park. It is believed to be the same whale that has been feeding in the Everett area for some weeks now. NOAA had responded to earlier reports of a stranding at this location, but the whale had managed to swim free before the stranding expert arrived.

Yesterday, however, the whale was marooned on the beach at low tide. Concerned neighbors in shorts and swimsuits assisted in keeping the exposed whale wet and cool. However, as the water rose and the whale became more active it became too dangerous for them to continue to help. Members of the NW Stranding Network (above photo from left, Jessie Huggins of Cascadia Research, Kristin Wilkinson of NOAA, and Brian Chittick of Snohomish-King County Stranding Network) labored for hours pouring buckets of water over the whale - until finally the incoming tide created a water level deep enough that he could swim free. They then boarded a boat with a team from WDFW Marine Mammal Investigations and monitored the whale until 2pm when he finally left the shallower waters and headed out into the strait.

Early this morning the whale stranded again and the Stranding Network responded. Approximately 2:30 this afternoon he was in 7-10 feet of water as the tide came in. NOAA is not optimistic about the whale’s survival based on his behavior and weakened condition.

Tags: gray whale, stranded gray whale, everett gray whale

On her 6am beach sweep this morning looking for seals, our photographer and first responder was shocked and angered to find Alki Beach by the bathhouse littered with trash. Four barrels were surrounded by garbage - paper plates smeared with ketchup and mustard, cups, plastic bags, plastic forks, plastic coke bottles. Seagulls were picking through the litter trying to find food. Small plastic ketchup packets were strewn over the sidewalk and beach. Our volunteer picked up all the trash that was scattered on the beach and along the water’s edge. The irony did not escape her when she picked up paper wrappers labeled “Spud’s Fish and Chips” on virtually the same spot of beach where our first seal pup, Spud (named for the restaurant), hauled out.

After the high profile and disturbing necropsy of the gray whale whose stomach was filled with human trash (ranging from sweat pants and plastic bags to a golf ball - photo at left), one would hope that it would have been a wake-up call to people of the dangers of polluting our waters - and the tragic impact it has on our marine mammals and other wildlife. Countless sea birds have died worldwide with stomachs full of plastic bottle caps. Litter that is on the sidewalk and beaches blows into Puget Sound and Elliott Bay, becoming marine debris that harms sea life. There is a swirling mass of plastic trash twice the size of Texas in the Pacific ocean, dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Please consider getting involved to help keep our West Seattle beaches and coves free of dangerous litter. Last spring, after reading on our website that seals and other marine mammals ingest plastic bags and suffer an agonizing death, second grader Etienne and her Bush Middle School class organized a beach cleanup field trip to Alki Beach. Perhaps other local schools would like to follow suit. If you run or walk along Alki with friends, take a few minutes before or after your exercise and pick up some litter. Parks Dept. can only do so much and they don’t have staff on early weekend mornings or in the evenings. If you have a business on Alki (or are involved with a local school or civic group) and would like to work with Seal Sitters to organize “Adopt Alki Beach” for a day a week/month, please contact us. Something needs to be done now to protect our wildlife from pollution.

Tags: gray whale, whale necropsy, pollution, marine debris