A gray whale that swam 20 miles up a Washington state river is found dead
Why it matters: The death of this gray whale highlights the ongoing struggle of a species facing population decline.
- A juvenile gray whale was found dead after venturing 20 miles up Washington's Chehalis River.
- An official with a marine mammal research group believes hunger, potentially due to the declining gray whale population, might have compelled the whale to seek new hunting areas.
A juvenile gray whale that captivated Washington state residents by swimming 20 miles up the Chehalis River was discovered dead. Researchers suspect hunger, possibly linked to the species' declining population, may have driven the whale to seek new feeding grounds.
