Gray whale numbers along the US Northwest coast have dropped by nearly 40% since 2016 According to a US study published on October 7, 2022, the number of gray whales spawning is at a record low in recent years.
A report by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the drop is 38% from the 2016 peak of 27,000 whales, to 16,650 in 2022.
The latest drop, although not fully explained, could stem from a number of factors including changes to Environmental changes have altered whales' food sources from the small crustaceans and other invertebrates they prey on in the Arctic.
David Weller, Director of NOAA's Division of Turtles and Marine Mammals, said in comments announcing the study results: "Given the continued population decline since 2016, we need to keep a close watch. closely monitor gray whale populations to understand what might be driving this trend."
Gray whales migrate annually from the icy North Pacific to the warm waters of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. (Photo: Reuters)
The spike in whale strandings discovered along the West Coast of North America from Mexico to Alaska two years ago prompted NOAA to declare an "unusual death event" for whale populations. grayscale in 2019, triggering closer scrutiny of the phenomenon.
NOAA said many of the approximately 600 whales found dead washed up on beaches between 2019 and this year were malnourished. Besides, a number of others have died from other causes, such as collisions with boats or attack by killer whales.
The decline in the overall population of gray whales on the West Coast coincided with a decline in whale reproduction, the researchers found.
Gray whale carcasses on Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore at Point Reyes Station, north of San Francisco, California, US, May 23, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)
As of May, it is estimated that the number of whales born in 2022 is about 217, down from 383 in 2021 and the lowest number since the birth census was carried out. appeared in 1994, NOAA said.
