Dead fin whale beached on Samish Island adds to concerns for Pacific cetaceans

A 61-foot fin whale stranded on Samish Island Monday, May 4, and died Tuesday morning. Cascadia Research Collective performed a necropsy, finding the endangered young male showed signs of orca attack, fishing gear entanglement, and malnutrition, though no ship strike trauma. The incident adds to concerns about Pacific cetaceans, as 17 gray whales have stranded fatally in Washington in 2026 alone, mostly from Arctic food shortages linked to climate change.