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Gray Whales Appear to Be Shrinking



Gray Whales
Appear to Be
Shrinking
new study
Jun 25, 2024 4:28 PM CDT

Gray Whales Appear to Be Shrinking

Researchers studying them in the Pacific Northwest see change over recent decades

(Newser) - Researchers studying gray whales in the Pacific Northwest are worried about an unmistakable trend among the creatures—they're shrinking, and at a pretty fast rate, according to a study published in Global Change Biology .
  • Smaller: Whales in this group born after 2000 are about 5 feet, 5 inches shorter
...

'Incredibly Rare' Whale Sighting Made Off East Coast

Gray whale went extinct in the Atlantic centuries ago

(Newser) - The gray whale went extinct in the Atlantic Ocean more than 200 years ago—so researchers from the New England Aquarium were more than a little surprised to see one off the coast of Nantucket on Friday. The whale was spotted by an aerial survey plane around 30 miles from...

After Seeing This Sight 4 Times, Concern Mounts

Gray whales found dead in San Francisco Bay Area in 9 days

(Newser) - Four dead gray whales have washed ashore San Francisco Bay Area beaches in the last nine days, with experts saying Friday one was struck by a ship. They were trying to determine how the other three died. "It’s alarming to respond to four dead gray whales in just...

For These Gray Whales, a Troubling Trend Continues
3 Unwanted Letters for
Gray Whales: U-M-E
new study
Jan 31, 2021 11:30 AM CST

3 Unwanted Letters for Gray Whales: U-M-E

'Unexplained mortality event': Scientists worry about prolonged spike in deaths

(Newser) - Back in 2019, scientists reported an alarming spike in the number of deaths of gray whales along the Pacific Coast. Now, a new study in the Marine Ecology Progress Series journal confirms the trend continued through 2020. In what they term an "unusual mortality event," researchers have counted...

Off the West Coast, Gray Whales Are Starving to Death

At least 53 have washed up so far this year

(Newser) - Gray whales are starving to death in alarming numbers off the West Coast—and researchers aren't entirely sure why. So far this year, at least 53 dead gray whales have washed up on shores from San Diego to Washington state, a number only rivaled by a die-off in 1999...

Gray Whale's Record Journey Puzzles Scientists

Varvara began in Russia, traveled 14K miles for longest mammal migration

(Newser) - A gray whale named Varvara has surprised marine scientists with an epic six-month migration of nearly 14,000 miles. That's the longest such journey ever recorded of a mammal, surpassing the humpback whale's migration of about 10,000 miles, reports USA Today . Varvara began her journey off the...

Tourist Killed by Jumping Whale

Canadian woman fatally injured on Mexico tourist boat

(Newser) - A 35-year-old Canadian woman died from injuries suffered when a surfacing gray whale crashed onto a tourist boat, Mexican authorities say. The Baja California Sur state prosecutor's office says the collision with the whale about a mile from the beach resort of Cabo San Lucas tossed the victim into...

Whale Watchers See Orcas Fight Mom, Drown Her Baby

In Monterey Bay, battle goes on for 2 hours

(Newser) - Whale watchers witnessed quite a grueling battle this week when a group of twenty orcas attacked a female gray whale and its calf off the California coast, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Like a pack of coyotes, the orcas tried separating the child from its mother—who fought back valiantly...

A First: Conjoined Gray Whales

But the underdeveloped calves don't survive birth

(Newser) - Mexican scientists have made a fascinating, if a little sad, discovery in a Baja California lagoon: conjoined gray whales. Unfortunately, the twin calves were dead, and scientists think they were miscarried before full term. While conjoined twins have been seen in other whale species, this is the first recorded case...

First Gray Whale Seen South of Equator

One is spotted off the coast of Namibia

(Newser) - Scientists scoping out dolphins off the coast of Namibia this month saw something that by all rights shouldn't have been there: a gray whale. The confirmed sighting marks the first time such a whale has been spotted south of the Equator, reports the Guardian . What's more, gray whales...

Dead Whale Yields Golf Ball, Other Junk

But experts mystified as to what killed young gray whale in Puget Sound

(Newser) - A gray whale found dead in Washington state's Puget Sound had been scarfing down shrimp—and also a golf ball, woody debris, algae, pieces of rope and plastic, and some sort of flat spongy material. The garbage was minimal and not the cause of death, which remains under investigation,...

'Extinct' Whale Surfaces Again

Lost gray whale spotted off Spanish coast

(Newser) - Gray whales became extinct in the Atlantic centuries ago, so experts believe the one that was spotted off Spain's Mediterranean coast recently is either incredible evidence of a recolonization, or incredibly lost. The whale is likely the same one seen off the coast of Israel last month, but experts have...

5 Held in Whale Shooting
5  Held in Whale Shooting
Sep 9, 2007 1:35 PM CDT

5 Held in Whale Shooting

Makah machine gun marine mammal off Washington coast

(Newser) - Five members of Washington's Makah Tribe were being held today after a harpooned California gray whale died as it headed out to sea. The AP reports that yesterday the tribesmen harpooned and shot the animal mammal with a .50 caliber machine gun. While the tribe has exercised its whaling rights...

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