A juvenile gray whale that swam approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres) up a small river in Washington state has been found dead. The whale was discovered on Saturday near the town of Raymond in the Willapa River, which empties into Willapa Bay and eventually the Pacific Ocean.
A Population in Crisis
According to John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, the whale’s death reflects a much larger problem. Since 2019, the eastern Pacific gray whale population has suffered from reduced food availability in the northern Bering and Chukchi seas off the coast of Alaska. “Gray whales are facing a major crisis, and the heart of it does seem to be feeding on their prey in the Arctic,” he told the Associated Press.
From late 2018 through late 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries agency declared an “unusual mortality event” for eastern gray whales. During that period, 690 strandings were recorded from Alaska to Mexico. NOAA investigators concluded that the preliminary cause was “localized ecosystem changes in the whales’ sub‑Arctic and Arctic feeding areas,” leading to changes in food supply, malnutrition, lower birth rates, and increased mortality.
Although officials had hoped the population was recovering, the most recent count from 2025 showed a continued decline. NOAA estimates there are now about 13,000 gray whales – the lowest number since the 1970s.
Hunger as a Likely Driver
Calambokidis noted that many gray whales currently appear emaciated and very thin. Spring migration northward is typically the most challenging period for the species, as it is the longest stretch without feeding. During this time, whales must rely on their fat reserves.
“When that happens, you often see gray whales in a more desperate search for new areas to feed,” he said. “That’s the most likely context for this whale.”
The juvenile entered the north fork of the Willapa River on Wednesday via Willapa Bay, which lies about 185 miles (298 kilometres) southwest of Seattle. Local residents gathered on bridges to catch glimpses of the massive mammal and flooded social media with photos and videos of it exhaling through its blowhole.
No Injuries but Signs of Thinness
In a Facebook post, the Cascadia Research Collective reported that while the whale appeared thin, its behaviour was normal and no injuries were visible. The organisation initially decided to give the animal time and space to leave the river on its own. However, when researchers attempted to locate it on Friday, they found that it had moved further upstream into waters that were no longer navigable by boat.
Researchers plan to examine the whale’s carcass as early as Monday to gather more information. At the time of its discovery, several other gray whales were present in Willapa Bay, making their annual 5,000‑mile (8,000‑kilometre) spring migration from their birthing grounds in Baja California, Mexico, to their feeding grounds in Alaska.