Gray whales dying in San Francisco Bay due to starvation and vessel strikes.

Gray whales are dying in increasing numbers in San Francisco Bay, with 28 fatalities recorded in 2025 and 2026. Scientists are investigating a link to climate change, which has shrunk Arctic prey and caused the whales to migrate to the bay by hunger. While starvation is a factor, vessel strikes are also a major cause of death, prompting a federal "unusual mortality event."