3 malnourished gray whales found dead along Washington coast in just a few days
The official cause of death for all three gray whales hasn't been determined or released at this time.
FILE: A whale was found dead on a New York City beach
A large whale was found dead on Rockaway Beach in New York City. Just two days earlier, the whale's carcass was seen floating 15 miles south of Long Island.
Three different gray whales that were malnourished were found dead in two different instances along Washington's coast in the first few days of April.
It started on April 1, when Cascadia River Collective began monitoring a gray whale that swam into the north fork of the Willapa River.
Cascadia Research said the whale was alive and behaving normally, but was thin.
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They began assessing the situation and made a plan to try and relocate the whale in the following days if it didn't move out of the river on its own.
The gray whale blowing water from its hole in the Willapa River.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
The nonprofit continued monitoring the whale, noting the next day it hadn't left the river and a team was planned to go investigate the animal on Friday, April 3.
When the team went out the following day, they couldn't locate the whale and hoped it had gone back out to sea. However, on Saturday, the whale was spotted in the river once again.
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The gray whale in the Willapa River.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
Upon returning to the river to see the whale, they found it had died.
An examination done on Monday revealed the whale was very malnourished and had internal injuries.
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The exam showed the whale was closer to adult-sized than originally thought.
Teams evaluating the dead whale in the Willapa River.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
Cascadia Research said they believe the whale couldn't have traveled up-river due to its debilitated state.
Samples from the whale were sent off for testing.
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"Our necropsy results support the decision to not take immediate aggressive actions which would have further stressed the whale and not changed the ultimate outcome," Cascadia Research Collective said.
The gray whale found dead in the Willapa River.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
The whale will be left where it is to decompose naturally.
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In the midst of sealing with the whale in the Willapa River, Cascadia teams also investigated two more dead gray whales on Saturday on the beach in Ocean Shores, Washington.
One of the two gray whales found stranded in Ocean Shores, Washington.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
Biologists from Cascadia Research Collective, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and SR³ - Sealife Response, Rehabilitation & Research, responded, finding a male and female gray whale, both malnourished.
One of the dead gray whales found in Ocean Shores, Washington.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
The male gray whale was found to have significant head trouble consistent with a vessel strike, Cascadia Research said.
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The female gray whale wasn't lactating, so wouldn't have been nursing a calf, Cascadia Research said.
Cascadia biologists measure one of the gray whales found in Ocean Shores, Wash.
(Cascadia Research Collective / FOX Weather)
Cascadia Research said though found stranded near one another, gray whales are solitary animals and do not travel in family groups, so the timing and proximity of their stranding was most likely the result of general migration patterns, tides and currents.
The official cause of death for all three gray whales hasn't been determined or released at this time.