Fin whale, second-largest animal on Earth, dies on WA's Samish Island
A fin whale stranded on a Samish Island beach near Bellingham died Tuesday morning, bringing Washington state's whale death toll to 18 so far this year, researchers said.
The male is the first fin whale to die; the other 17 have been gray whales that died in Washington waters since March. Fin whale sightings in the Puget Sound region are rare: The endangered massive animals are usually off the outer coast of Washington and not often spotted in the Salish Sea, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The whale was alive when it became stranded on a gravel beach Monday night but died while responders were on their way to the scene, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. It was emaciated and its overall condition had deteriorated. At least nine gray whales that died this year were also malnourished, according to data compiled by the Cascadia Research Collective.
Measuring 61 feet long and weighing about 40 tons, the whale's carcass will undergo a necropsy then be left to decompose on the beach.
Fin whales are the second-largest whale species, smaller only than the blue whale, and can weigh up to 80 tons. There are an estimated 9,000 fin whales off Washington, Oregon and California. The stock is experiencing strong growth, according to the fish and wildlife department, though they remain vulnerable to ship strikes, equipment entanglements and climate change.
The fin whale died about 5 miles north of March Point, where one of the gray whales was found dead under a dock near Anacortes last month.
Cascadia researchers have called the number of gray whale strandings alarmingly high, already surpassing what is typical for one year. They anticipate more during peak mortality season. Experts point to hunger as one cause: Climate change leads to shifts in the whales' feeding areas, so they may swim closer to shore or other unnatural spots, especially during their arduous spring migration. Some whales have suffered fatal injuries consistent with being hit by a ship, like one male that washed ashore in Grays Harbor County.
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 11:51 PM.