06/03/2026
This is devastating
Another gray whale washed up this past weekend in Ocean Park. Cascadia Research Collective wrote its a Male and no necropsy will be conducted. On May 24th another male up at Olympic National Park. The whale showed signs of malnutrition and trauma.
1. CRC-2255 — March 2, 2026 — Offshore Copalis — Male — Floating, no necropsy
2. CRC-2257 — March 21, 2026 — Olympic National Park near Toleak — Male — External exam only, emaciated
3. CRC-2258 — March 28, 2026 — Taholah — Male — Decomposed, no necropsy
4. CRC-2261 — April 1, 2026 — Raymond — Unknown — Malnutrition, out of habitat (upriver)
5. CRC-2262 — April 3, 2026 — Ocean Shores — Female — Malnutrition
6. CRC-2263 — April 3, 2026 — Ocean Shores — Male — Malnutrition, blunt force trauma
7. CRC-2264 — April 6, 2026 — Anacortes — Male — No necropsy
8. CRC-2266 — April 11, 2026 — Moclips — Male — Malnutrition, blunt force trauma
9. PSU26-04-12-Er — April 12, 2026 — Offshore Long Beach — Male — Malnutrition, blunt force trauma, landed in Seaside, Oregon
10. EJC-2026-08 — April 17, 2026 — Sequim — Male — Malnutrition, trauma
11. CRC-2267 — April 17, 2026 — Ocean Shores — Male — Malnutrition
12. 26Er18AprSk-01 — April 18, 2026 — Deception Pass — Male — No necropsy, minimal samples collected
13. CRC-2268 — April 20, 2026 — Ocean Shores — Male — Malnutrition
14. PSU26-04-22-Er — April 22, 2026 — Seaview — Female — Malnutrition, blunt force trauma, recent entanglement with no gear present
15. CRC-2269 — April 26, 2026 — Ocean Shores — Male — Decomposed, no necropsy
16. CRC-2270 — April 27, 2026 — Offshore Westport — Male — Malnourished but less than others examined, no other findings. Landed in Grayland, Washington
17. CRC-2272 — April 28, 2026 — Grays Harbor — Male — Decomposed, no necropsy
18. PSU26-05-08-Er — May 8, 2026 — Long Beach Peninsula — Female — Malnutrition, probable trauma
19. 26Er13MayWI-01 — May 13, 2026 — Whidbey Island — Male — Malnutrition, probable trauma
20. CRC-2276 — May 14, 2026 — Moclips — Male — Advanced decomposition, minimal exam
21. CRC-2277 — May 15, 2026 — Bay Center — Male — Malnourished but less than others examined, no other findings
22. WDFW2026-045 — May 20, 2026 — Bremerton — Male — Malnutrition, blunt force trauma, carcass sighted drifting near Alki on May 22
23. CRC-2281 — May 24, 2026 — Olympic National Park near Strawberry Point — Female — Decomposed, no necropsy
24. CRC-2282 — May 24, 2026 — Olympic National Park near Kalaloch — Male — Malnourished but less than others examined, probable trauma. Initially floating off Ruby Beach
25. PSU26-05-29-Er — May 29, 2026 — Ocean Park — Male — Decomposed, no necropsy
Total documented gray whale mortalities in Washington during the 2026 spring migration as of May 29, 2026 — 25 whales.
