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A gray whale found dead near San Francisco\u2019s Pier 80 was killed by injuries consistent with a vessel strike, according to the Marine Mammal Center. The death is the 13th gray whale recorded in the Bay Area this year as scientists track more whales entering and lingering in San Francisco Bay.<\/p>\n
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A gray whale found dead near Pier 80 in San Francisco Bay was killed by injuries consistent with a vessel strike, marking the 13th gray whale found dead in the Bay Area this year, according to the Marine Mammal Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n The adult male whale was reported June 4 near the eastern San Francisco waterfront and towed to Angel Island State Park, where scientists from the Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences performed a necropsy. The examination found blunt force trauma, including a broken vertebra and hemorrhaging behind the skull, the center said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The death adds to a troubling year for gray whales<\/a> in and around San Francisco Bay, where scientists say more of the animals are lingering during their migration and dying after encounters with vessels in one of the West Coast\u2019s busiest waterways.<\/p>\n The Marine Mammal Center\u2019s most recent data lists 13 gray whales found dead in the Bay Area in 2026. Four of those deaths have been classified as suspected vessel strikes<\/a>, six as undetermined or without a necropsy, two with necropsy results pending and one as suspected orca predation.<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n