Gray Whales Keep Turning Up in Rivers — What Is Driving This Strange Behavior?
Gray whales have been observed swimming into rivers, a behavior that is unusual for these oceanic creatures. This phenomenon is linked to a wave of gray whale deaths, with researchers investigating the causes behind it. Factors such as changes in oceanic patterns and loss of ice cover in feeding grounds are believed to contribute to the whales' inability to complete their migrations.
- ▪In April 2026, a young male gray whale was found swimming 20 miles upriver in the Willapa River before it died.
- ▪By the end of April 2026, 17 gray whales had stranded on beaches in Washington state, marking a new record for the year.
- ▪Researchers suspect that the loss of ice cover in the Arctic is affecting the whales' food supply, leading to hunger and navigational issues.
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It was April 2026, and for days, locals had reported a very strange sight in the Willapa River in Washington state. A young male gray whale was swimming about 20 miles upriver in freshwater — strange behavior for an oceanic creature, and unsustainable in the long run. After only a few days, officials reported the whale dead.The death was just part of a wave of recent deaths of gray whales that researchers are working to better understand. The details of what drove this individual so far from its oceanic home aren’t completely clear, but some biologists suspect the answer has to do with widespread changes in oceanic patterns thousands of miles away that left the Willapa River juvenile and others incapable of completing their annual migration.“We think that was just a reflection of a…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Discover Magazine.
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