In a deeply concerning development for marine conservation, five gray whales were discovered dead across the San Francisco Bay Area within a single week, marking a troubling rise in fatalities for 2025. The California Academy of Sciences has confirmed a total of 14 whale deaths so far this year, making it one of the highest annual counts in recent memory.
The whales were found in various locations, including Alcatraz, Point Bonita, Berkeley, Southeast Farallon Island, and Bolinas. Among the recent deaths were a yearling, a subadult, and three adult gray whales. These grim findings follow previous mass mortality events in 2019 and 2021, both of which led to a dramatic 45% drop in the Eastern North Pacific gray whale population.
Identifying causes of death has proven challenging due to the state of decomposition or the remoteness of the locations. However, marine scientists emphasize that vessel strikes remain one of the leading threats to whales in the region. With gray whales being low-profile swimmers, they are particularly hard to spot and highly vulnerable to collisions with both commercial ships and recreational vessels.
In addition to the rise in fatalities, researchers have recorded an “unusually high” number of gray whale sightings—33 so far in 2025, compared to just four last year. Experts believe the whales are pausing in the Bay Area during their annual migration north to Arctic feeding grounds, which is expected to continue for the next few weeks.
With whale activity at unprecedented levels, scientists are urging all boaters to slow down, stay alert, and adopt “whale-aware” practices to protect these majestic animals during a critical moment in their migratory journey.