Ten grey whales found dead off B.C. coast this year
The latest discovery off northern Vancouver Island marks the tenth whale this season. Researchers expected more deaths due to lower food supplies.
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Another dead grey whale was spotted floating off Cape Scott Provincial Park on northern Vancouver Island last weekend, bringing this year's total to ten—a grim tally that researchers say was predictable.
The Fisheries Department reported the discovery Saturday and said it's hoping to locate and secure the whale for further study. Of the ten found so far this season, three were discovered in a span of two weeks near Haida Gwaii last month, and another four were found in April near Vancouver Island.
The department warned earlier this year that more whale deaths were likely due to lower food supplies in their northern feeding grounds last summer. At least two of the whales found so far have been described as "extremely emaciated."
Where possible, the marine mammal response team conducts necropsies on dead whales to understand the population and causes of death. The 2026 count is tracking toward the 2019 record year, when eleven dead grey whales were found in B.C. waters.