Washington researchers report near‑record strandings in 2026 and identify alternate feeding areas

John Calitus presented Washington state stranding data and foraging observations, reporting a sharp uptick in strandings in 2026 that is approaching the state's highest recorded levels over the last 50 years. "We're already almost surpassing our record year for the last 50 years in strandings for Washington State," Calitus said, noting that as of his presentation the state was still within the season but numbers were unexpectedly high.

Calitus described persistent patterns observed during prior high‑mortality years (1999–2000 and the 2019–2023 event): an initial vulnerability of juveniles, followed by rising adult mortality in later years. He added that 2026 has an uncommon bias toward adult males in the mortality records. He also highlighted behavioral shifts and alternate feeding areas: inside Grays Harbor, long‑familiar whales showed strong, productive foraging behavior, while an adjacent outside area attracted >110 whales in 2025 many of which were previously unrecorded and included thinner individuals. Those outside aggregations are often in regions with significant shipping and crab‑fishing traffic, Calitus said, increasing risks of vessel strike and entanglement.

Calitus urged continued regional monitoring and cataloging of individuals so researchers can track cohort‑level changes and how feeding‑area selection relates to survival. He framed the Washington observations as one example of broader range‑wide responses to changing Arctic and subarctic foraging conditions that underpin many presenters' conclusions.