California grey whale found dead near Golden Gate Bridge after suspected ship strike

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A gray whale carcass found floating in San Francisco Bay this week was likely killed in a ship strike, the Marine Mammal Center announced Thursday.

The 42-foot adult female gray whale was found near the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday, and a necropsy performed at Angel Island on Wednesday indicated injuries consistent with a suspected vessel strike, the center said on social media, adding that the whale was in fair to normal body condition and had been feeding recently.  

The whale death was the first one reported in the Bay Area this year, according to the center.

Gray whales are currently on their yearly migratory journey north to the Arctic, and often appear in San Francisco Bay to rest and feed along their route. Marine Mammal Center researchers have reported at least six gray whales in the bay as this week.  

The latest population count of 12,900 gray whales is the lowest since the 1970s, the center said. An unusual mortality event between 2019 and 2023 led to over a 50% population decline since 2016 that scientists believe is exacerbated by changing Arctic conditions, the center said.

Bay Area residents can report whale sightings on the Marine Mammal Center website or on its Whale Alert app.