On Thursday morning, May 14, State Parks rangers spotted a whale struggling along the shoreline north of the Grayland Beach approach road and observed its death at approximately 9 a.m.
The following day, May 15, a team from Cascadia Research and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife examined what was determined to be a Baird’s beaked whale.
According to Cascadia, Baird’s beaked whales are generally sighted very far offshore, noting that just four strandings have been recorded in Washington State, with the last one occurring in 2003.
According to the Research Center, the adult female was approximately 38 feet in length and in good post-mortem condition. The examination revealed a severe infection in the abdominal cavity and evidence of having recently given birth, leading to a determination that the whale died of natural causes, according to a Research Center Internet post.
“Samples for a variety of analyses were collected and will be further processed in the coming weeks and months, and arrangements are being made for the preservation of the skeleton,” the post said.
Westport Aquarium’s Marc Mursell helped with the deboning of the whale. Its skeleton will be preserved for display at the Burke Museum on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle.