SAN FRANCISCO – A rare minke whale that captured the attention of marine experts and residents alike was humanely euthanized this week after becoming fatally trapped in the shallow waters of the San Francisco Bay near Emeryville Marina.
According to a statement from the Marine Mammal Center, the juvenile whale had initially appeared calm after becoming briefly stuck in mud during low tide. It later moved to deeper water but soon found itself trapped again with little chance of survival. Experts ultimately made the heartbreaking decision to end the whale’s suffering.
“While not the outcome we hoped for, it was in the best interest of this whale,” the Center said via social media. The whale was said to be in good body condition but showed signs of healing sunburn. A partial necropsy is planned, though full results are expected in the coming weeks.
The incident marks only the fifth documented sighting of a minke whale in the bay over the last 16 years, underscoring its rarity.
The minke whale’s death comes amid an alarming rise in gray whale fatalities in the same region. Since late March, three gray whale carcasses have been reported in different parts of the bay. One whale was found near Alcatraz Island, another at Angel Island, and the third near Fort Point.
Preliminary necropsy results on two of the whales suggest varying causes of death. One whale, found at Angel Island, had a full stomach and no immediate evidence of trauma, while another had fractured vertebrae and hemorrhaging—signs consistent with a fatal vessel strike.
“As whale sightings increase and marine life continues to interact with commercial and recreational traffic, it is more important than ever for boaters to remain vigilant,” said Kathi George, Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology at the Marine Mammal Center. “If you see a blow, go slow.”
The recent spate of whale deaths has renewed calls for stronger marine protection protocols along the California coastline, especially as climate change and increasing human activity pose greater threats to marine biodiversity.
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