The whale, first seen Wednesday near Raymond, was spotted again in the same area on Thursday, according to the Cascadia Research Collective.
WILLAPA, Wash. — A juvenile gray whale has found its way part way up the Willapa River in Pacific County.
The whale, first seen Wednesday near Raymond, was spotted again in the same area on Thursday, according to the Cascadia Research Collective.
Though the whale is thin, it was behaving normally and did not appear to be injured, according to Jessie Huggins, research biologist with the Collective.
Though this does not happen often, it is not unheard of, Huggins said.
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife spokesperson Bridget Mire confirmed the reported whale sightings. Fish & Wildlife, the Cascadia Research Collective and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are monitoring the situation, according to Mire.
As of Wednesday, the whale was “actively feeding and swimming,” according to Mire.
Fish & Wildlife had not received reports of sightings by around midday Thursday. A team from the Collective went out to relocate the whale and could not initially find it. However, when contacted a few hours later, the Collective said it had returned to the area near Raymond. Fish & Wildlife later confirmed a report of another sighting.
Huggins said they’ll continue to monitor the whale’s behavior, giving it time and space to find it’s way out of the river. A larger response is being planned for Friday if that does not occur.
Fish & Wildlife and the Collective encourage people to report entangled or stranded whales immediately, while also keeping their distance.
Fish & Wildlife encourages people to report to the National Marine Fisheries Service entanglement response hotline at 1-877-767-9425, or hailing the U.S. Coast Guard on Channel 16.
The Cascadia Research Collective also encourages people to report sightings to its stranding hotline at 360-791-9555.