Modern Mysteries

Mystery as dead whales keep washing up in San Francisco Bay area

By T.K. Randall
June 1, 2025 ·  5 comments

The Golden Gate Bridge overlooking San Francisco Bay. Image Credit: CC BY 3.0 Giuseppe Milo Something unusual is stirring in the waters of San Francisco Bay this year: an unprecedented influx of whales - 33 counted so far - compared to just 6 sightings in all of 2024.

Even more alarming is a corresponding surge in whale deaths. Fifteen whales have been found dead since the beginning of the year, prompting concern and confusion among marine biologists.

The phenomenon began just last month, when a gray whale was discovered washed up on the shores of Black Sands Beach, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. "What's unfolding in San Francisco Bay right now is a very dynamic, evolving situation that is still very much under investigation," Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center, told SFGate.

"We're seeing staggering figures, and local scientists are still trying to get answers."

So far, 14 of the deceased whales were gray whales, while one was identified as a rare juvenile minke whale. Researchers have collected samples from the animals in an effort to determine what caused their deaths.

Preliminary investigations suggest that three of the whales may have died from vessel strikes, but the cause behind the remaining twelve deaths - and the sudden spike in whale activity in the bay - remains a mystery.


Source: SF Gate | Comments (5)

Tags: Whale, San Francisco