61-foot fin whale that died on Samish Island was malnourished

A fin whale that died after becoming stranded on Samish Island was malnourished and had recently been entangled with nets or other equipment, researchers said Wednesday.

The subadult male is the 18th whale to die in Washington waters in 2026 and the first fin whale, an endangered animal that is rarely seen in the Salish Sea. The other 17 have been gray whales.

The whale was alive when it was spotted in very shallow water on a gravel beach Monday night but died while responders were heading to the scene, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. The 61-foot-long, 40-ton whale was in overall poor condition.

Researchers examined the whale and said there was also evidence of "non-lethal interaction with killer whales," the Cascadia Research Collective said Wednesday. The inspection also revealed an ulcerative skin condition and several internal injuries. In the coming weeks, tissue samples may provide more insight into why the whale's condition deteriorated.

The whale's carcass will be left to decompose on the beach after researchers finish a necropsy.

The massive animals usually swim off the outer coast of Washington, but this whale had been spotted in inland waters over the past few months, according to the Cascadia Research Collective. Strandings, where a whale is found on a beach and unable to return to the water, are infrequent among fin whales, with only 13 counted since 1986, the collective reported. They usually occur after a healthy fin whale is hit by a large vessel.

There are an estimated 9,000 fin whales in waters off Washington, Oregon and California. They are the second-largest whale species, second only to the blue whale, and weigh up to 80 tons. They can live 80 to 90 years, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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. Two were females, one was an unknown sex and the rest were males.

Experts point to hunger as one cause of the increase: 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. Four whales have suffered fatal injuries consistent with being hit by a vessel, like one male that washed ashore in Grays Harbor County.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.