Another Dead Whale Washes Ashore In Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA – Another dead whale has washed ashore in Marin County.

A whale carcass was found Tuesday between Brighton and Agate Beach in Bolinas, the Marine Mammal Center confirmed Thursday. Scientists from the Sausalito-based center and California Academy of Sciences were on-scene Wednesday afternoon to observe the carcass, which was identified as a 58-foot-long female fin whale.

"The death of a second female fin whale this week is incredibly unfortunate, particular since fin whales are an endangered species," said Dr. Shawn Johnson, director of veterinary science at the Marine Mammal Center.

This latest whale stranding comes after two dead whales were found last week in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A dead whale was found May 18 offshore of Alameda County, and another was found later that same day on Tennessee Valley Beach in Marin. Necropsy results confirmed that the fin whale in Alameda died due to a vessel collision, while the gray whale in Marin died due to severe entanglement, according to officials from the Marine Mammal Center.

The center is working with California Academy of Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a plan to perform a necropsy, or animal autopsy, and determine the cause of death on Friday.

"Whale necropsies are critical to provide insights into the overall health of these animals and their ocean environment, including human activity that can impact them, with the goal of understanding how best to protect these endangered species," Johnson said.

The Marine Mammal Center has responded to six whales, including four gray whales, so far this year. The leading causes of death of whales, dolphins and porpoises examined by the center's research team include blunt force trauma from ship strikes, malnutrition, trauma and entanglement, officials said.

The Marine Mammal Center, a nonprofit, encouraged the public to report sick and injured marine mammals by calling 415-289-SEAL (7325). People should maintain a safe distance of at least 50 feet from stranded marine mammals and keep dogs away, officials said.

Also see:

• Human-Related Causes Resulted In Whale Deaths In Bay Area
• 2 Dead Whales Found In Bay Area, Including 1 In Marin County
• Marin's Marine Mammal Center Studies Dead Whale At Angel Island

Photo: Fin whale stranding, Bolinas, May 24, 2018. Photo by Marjorie Cox, provided by the Marine Mammal Center