Third dead whale in a week washes ashore in California

SAUSALITO, Calif. – Another dead grey whale washed ashore in California, the fifth dead whale found in the San Francisco Bay Area since March and the third since Friday.

The Marine Mammal Center said the whale was reported Tuesday and a necropsy was planned.

Scientists said human-caused injuries killed two whales found last week in the area.

The Marine Mammal Center said a ship hit a 45-foot (13.72-meter) long fin whale that was found May 18 near Oakland. A necropsy found the juvenile female had broken bones and massive hemorrhaging.

In a report Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there were 31 whale entanglements in fishing gear reported off the West Coast in 2017, lower than the previous two years, but still much higher than pre-2014 levels.