BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — A dead gray whale washed ashore Tuesday on Bainbridge Island, according to KIRO 7 TV.
A research team from the National and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) went to Bainbridge Island to get a skin and blubber sample from the whale, a spokesperson said.
The NOAA official said the whale was “quite decomposed” and is not a priority for a necropsy. Investigation continues.
NOAA said it is the fifth stranded dead gray whale found in Washington state in 2020, bringing the total to 26 on the West Coast, including Alaska.
The NOAA official told KIRO that many of the stranded whales found this year have been thin or emaciated, suggesting something has changed about their food supply.
