PORTUGUESE BEACH—A pair of gray whale carcasses were found along the Bay Area shoreline last week, marking the sixth and seventh time beached whales have appeared in the coastal region in 2015.
The first, a 30-foot gray whale, was sighted on May 19 drifting in Half Moon Bay before washing ashore near Kelly Beach between Poplar and Saint Francis.
The second whale was discovered Saturday, May 23 on Portuguese Beach in Sonoma County.
Both animals were determined to be juveniles that perished at the tail-end of their seasonal migration from their breeding grounds in Mexico to Northern waters.
No exact cause of death for both whales has been determined. Due to odor complaints, both carcasses were removed from the scene and buried.
