A young gray whale, affectionately dubbed "Willapa Willy" by local residents, died after swimming 20 miles inland into Washington state's Willapa River. The Cascadia Research Collective confirmed the animal's death on Saturday, noting that teams are currently assessing the site to conduct a formal examination.
The juvenile whale was first spotted last Wednesday in the river’s north fork, located 145 miles southwest of Seattle. While researchers initially observed the whale behaving normally despite a thin appearance, they had hoped it would navigate its way back to the Pacific Ocean on its own.
A species in crisis
John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, told the Associated Press that the whale’s behavior was likely driven by a desperate search for food. Gray whales typically migrate north to the Arctic during the spring, but many are facing reduced food availability in the Bering and Chukchi seas.
"Gray whales are facing a major crisis and the heart of it does seem to be feeding on their prey in the Arctic," Calambokidis said. He explained that as whales exhaust their nutritional reserves during the long migration, they often wander into unusual areas looking for sustenance.
The death of the juvenile whale follows a grim trend for the species in the region. Earlier in April, two adult gray whales were found dead near the Ocean Shores area. According to the Cascadia Research Collective, both adults were malnourished, and the male also showed signs of significant head trauma consistent with a vessel strike.
Recent data from NOAA Fisheries underscores the severity of the situation. The winter 2025 population count for Eastern North Pacific gray whales dropped to approximately 13,000, the lowest number recorded since the 1970s.
Gray whales, which can grow up to 49 feet long and weigh 90,000 pounds, face ongoing threats including entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with ships. The National Marine Fisheries Service notes that these whales generally travel alone, making the loss of individual animals particularly impactful for the struggling population.
