Willapa River (Washington) – On Saturday, it was confirmed that a juvenile gray whale who swam up the Willapa River had died. The Cascadia Research Collective informed the public on the evening of April 4, writing:
We are saddened to confirm that the whale seen in the Willapa River over the past few days is deceased.
We are working with local partners to evaluate the safety of the location to conduct an examination.
We ask the public to please stay away from the whale.
Two days prior to the whale’s passing, the organization said that the whale appeared to be thin, but there were no apparent injuries, and it appeared to be behaving normally. Saying, “We are giving the whale time and space to leave the river on its own, but plans are being made with our partners at NOAA and WDFW if intervention is needed in the coming days.”
Experts had hoped the whale would turn around and leave the river, but those hopes were crushed when the body was found in the river near Raymond on Saturday. Six gray whales have died so far this year in Washington.
independent investigations and reporting.
