A necropsy, or animal autopsy, failed to confirm a cause of death for the gray female whale, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“Gray whales are sentinels for ocean health, so performing these investigations is essential to better understand how human activity and changing environmental trends are impacting this species,” Dr.
Gray whales usually pass through the San Francisco area during their northern migration to Arctic waters in late March through April, SFGate reported.
“In 2019, when this unusual mortality event began, we had 13 dead gray whales,” spokesperson Giancarlo Rulli told SFGate.
During the necropsy, scientists determined the whale was a 45-foot adult female in average body condition based on the fat stores and blubber layer, the television station reported.
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