Rare Sperm Whale Stranding on N. Oregon Coast, Was Hit by Boat

Published 06/01/25 at 5:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Gearhart, Oregon) – First, came reports from at sea: fishermen had spotted a dead sperm whale was floating some 15 mile off the Oregon coast on May 23. Then one more time on May 27th it was seen a mere seven miles away. Thursday night, the deceased cetacean rolled up onto his last resting place: between Del Ray and Sunset Beach in the Gearhart area, some 12 miles north of Seaside, according to Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium. (Photos Tiffany Boothe / Seaside Aquarium)

Boothe and crew from Seaside Aquarium / Marine Mammal Stranding Network arrived, finding a 53-foot male sperm.

A few days later – today, June 1 – they performed a necropsy to try and determine out how it died. The findings there weren't good.

“A necropsy was performed today by Portland State University, Cascadia Research Collective, and the Seaside Aquarium,” Boothe said. “During the necropsy, damage to the vertebrate was visible along with signs of hemorrhage, this helped the team determine that this whale was struck by a vessel.”

Now, the plan is to simply leave the whale to decompose on the spot: no burying it in sand, as they often do on busier beaches. By doing this naturally, it gives the local ecosystem a boost.

“This will provide not only an opportunity to see this large whale but also provide a nutrition boost to the local ecosystem,” Boothe said. “Scavengers such as turkey vultures, bald eagles, and even coyotes will have the ability to feed on this whale for quite some time.”

Boothe said you'll definitely want to keep away from the dead sperm whale – which likely won't be too hard since it's guaranteed to, well, put up a stink. There are distinct health hazards, however.

“Please remember to look- but do not touch,” Boothe said. “Marine mammals may spread potential diseases to humans and pets.”

The event is a bit rare on this part of the north Oregon coast. The last sperm whale found was back in 2023, and at that time aquarium manager Keith Chandler said they only run into this every few years. Indeed, Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff have been covering these incidents for more than twenty years. There were only three reports before that for the northern half of the coast and south Washington coast: in 2007, 2017 and 2012.

Last time it happened was an odd set of coincidences:

Three Whales Hit Oregon Coast Sands: Causes of Death Released One near Winchester Bay, two at Fort Stevens

“They are usually found quite a ways offshore, so when they do die they tend to sink to the bottom of the ocean,” Boothe told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “That is what makes it rare for a dead one to wash ashore. We tend to see one every few years.”

Sperm whales are on the rebound – bit still categorized as endangered after the whaling industry nearly wiped them out 100 years ago.

This is why federal authorities sometimes get involved with these strandings. The 2007 stranding of a sperm whale near Cannon Beach included federal authorities tracking down a man who had taken parts of the whale – a federal crime if it involved an endangered species. Penalties are as much as one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Coast Guard Barque 'America's Tall Ship' Coming to Portland Rose Fest, N. Oregon Coast's Astoria - Portland events: June 5 - 8; Astoria events June 13 - 15

“Sperm whales can reach nearly 60 feet and weigh well over 40 tons,” Boothe said. “They have been known to live up to 60 years, with males maturing around the age of 50 at a length of approximately 52 feet. They feed on deep water species, such as squid, sharks, skates, and fish.”

Also see Man Caught Stealing from Whale Carcass on Oregon Coast - Archived from 2007

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