Why Are A Record Number Of Whales Washing Up Dead?

Hungry whales are increasingly entering busy areas searching for food, and climate-driven changes in the Arctic are to blame.

Researchers believe warming ocean temperatures and rapidly changing Arctic ecosystems are making it harder for the massive mammals to find enough food to survive.

And entering these unfamiliar waters come with deadly risks for the whales, including ship strikes and worsening starvation.

Scientists say the troubling shift is part of a much bigger problem unfolding across the Pacific as gray whale populations have plunged in recent years, calf numbers are alarmingly low and dead whales have continued washing ashore along the West Coast. 

A Deep Dive

Gray whales depend heavily on Arctic feeding grounds during the summer. There, they gorge on tiny shrimp-like creatures and other seafloor prey, building up enough fat reserves to survive their massive migration.

As sea ice melts earlier and ocean temperatures rise, the Arctic ecosystem is changing. 

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Tiny marine creatures that gray whales rely on are becoming less abundant in some areas or moving elsewhere. Scientists believe many whales simply are not finding enough food.

That hunger appears to be pushing some whales into new and dangerous territory.

In recent years, researchers have documented more gray whales entering places like San Francisco Bay searching for food during their migration.

But these areas are crowded with ferries, cargo ships and recreational boats moving through narrow waterways. Scientists studying these so-called “Bay Grays” found that many of the whales entering the bay were later found dead.

The Broader Problem

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researchers, the eastern North Pacific gray whale population has declined dramatically in the last decade.

Current estimates suggest there are only about 13,000 whales remaining, the lowest number since the 1970s.

Scientists have also recorded alarmingly low calf numbers in recent years, a sign that many females may not have enough stored energy to successfully reproduce.

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Dead and emaciated gray whales have started to become a common sight along the West Coast.

In Washington alone, more than 20 dead gray whales have washed up along the coast this year. Researchers say many of the animals appear severely malnourished.

What's The Answer?

Gray whales have survived natural climate swings for thousands of years, but scientists worry today’s changes are happening unusually fast. Ocean ecosystems are shifting at a pace that may be challenging the whales’ ability to adapt.

(MORE: Whale Breaches Right Next To Surfer)

And because gray whales sit high in the marine food web, their struggles can also serve as a warning sign about the health of the ocean itself.

Researchers say the story of the gray whale is ultimately about connection: how warming temperatures in the Arctic can influence wildlife thousands of miles away along the West Coast.

It’s also a reminder that climate change is not always dramatic in obvious ways. Sometimes, it appears as a quietly altered migration route or a whale searching for food in the wrong place.

weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.