Another Gray Whale Washes Up on Oregon Coast, at Seaside: Early Observations, Video

Published 04/14/26 at 7:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Seaside, Oregon) – They knew it was out there a few days ago. The US Coast Guard had alerted staff at the Seaside Aquarium that it had been seen floating off Tillamook Head, about six miles away. (Photos and video Seaside Aquarium / Tiffany Boothe)

Then the deceased cetacean made landfall Tuesday morning, coming ashore at Seaside. The sixth dead gray whale to show up on Northwest beaches in less than a month, this one is a male and about 40 feet long. It had been dead for some time – you could tell by the smell, according to the aquarium's Tiffany Boothe.

“A necropsy has been scheduled for later this week,” Boothe said. “While the goal of any necropsy is to determine the cause of death, every necropsy is unique, and we learn from each one.

Aquarium manager Keith Chandler told Oregon Coast Beach Connection that after the Coast Guard told him about it floating far off, he was hoping it would land on Tillamook Head. Instead, it ended up in the aquarium's front yard – literally.

This follows another that came up on the central Oregon coast a few days ago. Before that, three dead gray whales happened in the space of a few days on the Washington coast, and on March 26 another was found at Florence. See Another Dead Whale Stranding, This Time Near Yachats on Central Oregon Coast

Boothe said it looked like it might be malnourished, but since the body was fairly bloated it's hard to tell.

Julie Conrad, a whale researcher from the central Oregon coast, examined the photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection sent her. While she has not seen it upclose, she offered what observations could be made from the photos.

“No obvious signs of trauma,” Conrad said. “The blood is likely post mortem from scavengers. They go for soft tissue.”

She said the photos seem to indicate it could be underweight, but only the actual necropsy will be able to show more. One sign of that is a sunken area behind the head of the whale, which Conrad said is somewhat visible in the photo but not certain. The spine would be showing on a severely emaciated whale.

That's the issue with this run of dead gray whales, which has far exceeded what scientists usually see by this time of year. They are showing up malnourished to varying degrees. Part of the frequency is because they're migrating in great numbers – so more are dying along the way. It's the emaciated or malnourished state that's concerning.

In March, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network's (MMSN) Jim Rice talked to Oregon Coast Beach Connection about the whale at Florence.

“We know that lots of gray whales have been stranding along the entire west coast since 2019," Rice said. "The bottom line is that these whales are having a hard time finding enough to eat during their summer foraging seasons in the arctic, causing many of them to become malnourished."

For background see the article 'Skinny Whales' Remain Issue on Washington / Oregon Coast, But May Be Lessening

For this Seaside whale, the necropsy is next, where photos and measurements are taken.

“Then, the team peels back the blubber layer to look for signs of trauma like hemorrhage (bruising), measures the blubber thickness, and examines the overall 'health' of the blubber (color, oil content, texture, etc.),” Boothe said. “Samples of the blubber are taken and sent to a lab for further analysis. This may sound easy, but it can be quite a task. The blubber is thick and heavy. It can be hard to cut through and even harder to peel down due to the weight.”

The team then looks for any signs of cancers or other issues, examining organs – including all three stomachs. Yes, Boothe said, they have three. The team ends up coming together and pooling their knowledge, but an actual cause of death is not always certain.

As always, social media responses to these stories includes an endless array of “don't blow'em up” posts – as if the joke wasn't already made over one million times.

“So, what happens now? ,” Boothe said. “It depends. Though smelly, it is best for the environment for the whale to remain unburied on the beach. The whale provides food for a wide range of scavengers, and as it decomposes, nutrients are transferred into the surrounding sand. However, there are times and places where a whale cannot simply remain on the beach. In those cases, the whale is buried or removed.”

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