Dead gray whale that washed up on San Francisco beach was hit by a ship
A gray whale that was found dead on a San Francisco beach was hit by a ship, a necropsy shows.
Reporting from SAUSALITO, Calif. — A gray whale that was found dead on a San Francisco beach was hit by a ship, a necropsy on the animal shows.
The 41-foot-long adult female was spotted Monday at Ocean Beach.
The Marine Mammal Center says a necropsy performed Tuesday found the whale’s skull and upper vertebrae had fractures consistent with a ship strike.
The whale also seemed in poor shape. Its insulating layer of blubber was thinner than usual.
It’s the ninth whale found dead in the San Francisco Bay Area since March. The center says three previous whales died from ship strikes and four from malnutrition.
The center says some gray whales are in poor condition during this year’s annual migration from Mexico to Alaska. They suspect some are having trouble finding food as warming ocean conditions cause changes in their food supplies.
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