Investigation of Young Whale Incident on Oregon Coast Already Makes New Finds

Published 11/19/25 at 6:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is assisting in the investigation of a juvenile humpback whale that became entangled and stranded earlier this week near Yachats. The investigation includes the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Fisheries department (known as NOAA Fisheries). (Photo of the Yachats whale courtesy Washington Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network)

The whale was caught in gear identified by NOAA Fisheries as belonging to the Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishery. After efforts to free the animal from the surf were unsuccessful, veterinarians with the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network euthanized it on Nov. 17.

“NOAA Fisheries attributed the gear to the 2023–2024 Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishery,” the agency said.

Initial reports from those on the scene indicated it was not a commercial device, as the story was breaking over the weekend.

Justin Ainsworth, Marine Resources Program Manager for ODFW, said the exact cause of the stranding remains under review.

“Whale entanglement has been at the forefront for us over the past few years. The stranding of this young whale over the weekend underscores the importance of the work we have been doing in partnership with Oregon’s crab fleet to reduce the risk of entanglement,” Ainsworth said.

Preliminary information from scientists on the scene indicates the whale was likely in a weakened and ill state before it encountered the gear.

A necropsy team examined the whale on site Tuesday to assess its condition and gather insight into the circumstances surrounding the incident. While NOAA Fisheries leads entanglement response efforts, ODFW supports investigations by interviewing gear owners and supplying relevant fishery data when Oregon gear is involved.

Photo Leigh Torres / OSU

The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission has funded research at Oregon State University to study whale distribution and its interaction with crab fishing areas. Marine biologists report that humpback whale populations along the West Coast are increasing by approximately eight percent annually, resulting in more frequent contact with crab gear.

To mitigate entanglement risks, ODFW has implemented several regulatory changes in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery, including a 20 percent reduction in pot limits and a seasonal restriction on crabbing beyond 40 fathoms starting May 1. Additional programs target the retrieval of lost crab pots to further reduce hazards.

In 2026, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will receive updates on crab fishery management, including a five-year review of entanglement prevention efforts, the status of the Conservation Plan and Take Reduction Team, and potential changes to season opening protocols. The Commission will also consider new regulations such as electronic vessel monitoring, criteria for experimental gear permits, and revised season start criteria.

This week, ODFW is collaborating with commercial crabbers and fishery managers in California and Washington to finalize plans for the upcoming Dungeness crab season, with an announcement expected Friday.

On the scene were Pacific Marine Mammal Center, SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation, & Research, Cascadia Research Collective, Oregon State Parks, Oregon State Fish and Wildlife Department, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon State Police and Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute. Experts came in from California, Oregon and Washington.

One of the many rumors still floating on social is that no experts were there, when in fact there were many.

Efforts to free the whale proved unworkable, even when professional teams arrived and took over.

“They employed an innovative method using block and tackle in an urgent effort to free the whale, but were ultimately unable to return the animal to the water,” NOAA said.

The public outcry on social media was and still is tremendous, but largely fueled only by emotion and a lack of understanding of the matter – or actual physics. Personal attacks on the scientists and experts involved are still numerous.

One of the big misconceptions is how returning a stranded whale to the ocean works in the real world. This almost never works: it's rare when it does.

NOAA Fisheries explained some of the many reasons why:

“A whale’s body is adapted to the buoyancy of water. Its own body weight causes immense pressure once it is stranded, which can lead to respiratory and circulatory collapse,” the agency said. “Refloating stranded large whales is challenging, and there are limited options. Simply pulling a large whale back into the ocean is considered inhumane - it can dislocate the tail, cause paralysis, or even break the spinal cord. The rope and pulley system the Network members attempted is still difficult and not always successful. Another option, dredging a channel for a whale, has historically resulted in the whale drowning.”

Social media was filled with such suggestions – especially digging a trench. These suggestions by armchair engineers would've resulted in a more gruesome kind of death for the whale.

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