Gray Whale Deaths Surge Along Pacific Coast, 145 Found Dead in 2026

Gray whales are dying at alarming rates along North America's West Coast. As of mid-2026, 145 carcasses have been recorded, following 179 deaths in 2025 and 690 strandings between 2019 and 2023. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries tracks the data, while Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and other groups raise alarms. Climate change reduces amphipod prey, driving malnutrition and forcing whales into dangerous areas like San Francisco Bay, where ship strikes and entanglements occur. The eastern population has dropped to about 13,000 individuals in 2025, the lowest since the 1970s, down from 27,000 in 2016. Conservationists fear 2026 could be one of the deadliest years, with actual deaths likely ten times higher than strandings. Gray whales have rebounded from past crises, including commercial whaling and a 1999-2000 mortality event, but experts worry about the pace of environmental change. Advocates call for re-listing under the Endangered Species Act.