Gray Whale Swims Up Washington River, Found Dead

Researchers suspect hunger drove the juvenile whale to new hunting grounds as the species' population declines.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 3:24pm

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A highly textured abstract painting in earthy tones, featuring sweeping geometric shapes and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex migratory patterns and feeding challenges of the gray whale.As gray whales face declining food sources in their northern feeding grounds, their long migratory journeys have become increasingly perilous.Raymond Today

A juvenile gray whale that swam 20 miles up a small river in Washington state was found dead, and an official with a marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale to new hunting grounds as the species' population declines.

Why it matters

Gray whales in the eastern Pacific Ocean have faced reduced food availability in their northern feeding grounds since 2019, leading to a population crisis for the species. This incident highlights the challenges gray whales are facing as they migrate and search for food.

The details

The whale was discovered Saturday near Raymond, Washington, in the Willapa River, which feeds into the ocean at Willapa Bay. A number of gray whales are currently in the bay on their 5,000-mile spring migration from birthing grounds in Baja California, Mexico, north to feeding grounds in Alaska.

  • The whale was discovered on Saturday, April 5, 2026.

The players

John Calambokidis

A research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective.

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What they’re saying

“Gray whales are facing a major crisis and the heart of it does seem to be feeding on their prey in the Arctic.”

— John Calambokidis, Research Biologist

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges facing the gray whale population in the eastern Pacific, as reduced food availability in their northern feeding grounds forces them to search for new hunting grounds, sometimes with tragic consequences.