SEATTLE — Whale researchers say a dead gray whale whose carcass was found floating in Seattle’s Elliott Bay Sunday had likely died some time ago and showed signs of malnourishment.
KOMO-TV reports the 39-foot (12-meter) whale was discovered near the Coast Guard station at Elliott Bay and was examined by whale researchers and veterinarian organizations.
Whale researchers with Cascadia Research Collective said Tuesday that researchers found the whale was in poor body condition with some woody debris in the stomach, but no sign of food.
There were no signs it had been entangled or struck by a ship.
Researches will compare photos of the whale to others taken over the past several years to try to determine the whale’s sighting history.
Researchers say it was the seventh stranded gray whale spotted in Washington waters this year, which is near the annual average.
