Whale Deaths Spike In San Francisco Bay

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — More dead whales were found over the weekend in San Francisco Bay, bringing this year's tally to four so far, according to The Marine Mammal Center.

The first whale death reported earlier on March 17, with officials saying it had likely been struck by some kind of vessel. It's unclear what led up to the deaths of the three other whales found this past week in the bay.

Experts with The Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences have since relocated at least one of the whales — found floating off Tiburon — and are taking blubber samples for a necropsy, according to KRON4.

SEE ALSO: Video: Windsurfer Crashes Into Whale In San Francisco Bay

Another whale was found near the Phillips 66 Refinery in Rodeo, and the other was found floating near Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor, according to the report.

The deaths come amid growing concern for the species, which continues to see a decline and its lowest numbers since the 1970s, according to the Marine Mammal Center.

Scientists have been seeing whales go through an unusual mortality event that has decimated populations by over 50% since 2016, officials said.

San Francisco saw 30 whale deaths last year, the highest since 2021, when there were 20 deaths.

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