Nine Gray Whales Dead in Bay Area

Nine gray whales have been found dead in the San Francisco Bay Area since March 17, and Bay Area lawmakers are now pushing a federal response. (marinemammalcenter.org) Representative Sam Liccardo introduced the “Save Willy Act” on April 22, 2026, with Bay Area co-sponsors including Representatives Lateefah Simon, Kevin Mullin and Zoe Lofgren. The bill would create a “Whale Desk” at the U.S. Coast Guard station in San Francisco to collect sightings and warn vessel operators when whales enter the Bay. (liccardo.house.gov) The Marine Mammal Center’s running list shows gray whale deaths on March 17, March 25, March 28, March 29, April 3, April 9, April 13, April 19 and April 20. Only one of those nine has been listed as a suspected vessel strike so far, while several others remain pending or undetermined because necropsies were limited or impossible. (marinemammalcenter.org) The deaths follow a much worse year in 2025, when the Bay Area recorded 24 whale deaths, including 21 gray whales. KTVU reported that was the highest annual toll in 25 years. (ktvu.com) Scientists say this is not just a one-season spike. A Frontiers in Marine Science study released in April found that at least 18% of the gray whales documented entering San Francisco Bay between 2018 and 2025 died there. (frontiersin.org) That study identified 114 individual gray whales entering the Bay from 2018 through 2025, and at least 40% of the known deaths were linked to vessel strikes. Researchers also found that most of the whales were first-time visitors, with only four returning across multiple years. (sfgate.com) Gray whales historically migrated along the Pacific coast, not deep into San Francisco Bay. Researchers say the Bay now appears to be drawing whales to feed in shallow water, putting them in one of the West Coast’s busiest shipping corridors. (theconversation.com) The population itself is under pressure. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates cited by Frontiers show eastern North Pacific gray whales have declined by more than 50% since 2016, and researchers reported unusually few calves in recent years. (frontiersin.org) California regulators are also widening a voluntary vessel speed reduction program this week, after ship strikes remained a leading cause of whale deaths in and around the Bay. KQED reported the program asks large vessels to slow down during peak whale season to reduce lethal collisions. (kqed.org) The bill still has to move through Congress, and many of this year’s deaths still do not have final causes. But the count that opened the season at one dead whale on March 17 had reached nine by April 20. (marinemammalcenter.org)