San Francisco Chronicle, Aug 2, 2015 (emphasis added): Another dead whale washes up on Pacifica beach — Yet another dead whale washed up at a Pacifica beach in what has become an inexplicable summer trend, marine officials reported… The whale that washed up Sunday is just the latest in a string of mysterious dead whales found in the area. A humpback whale washed up on Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica in May, and in April the rotting carcass of a sperm whale on the beach near Mori Point left scientists baffled as a dissection revealed no official cause of death.
AP, Aug 2, 2015: A dead humpback whale has washed up at a beach in the city of Pacifica, the latest of a series of dead whales found along Northern California’s coast…
Sun Times, Aug 2, 2015: A dead Humpback whale washed onto the shore at a Pacifica beach Sunday… This whale is just one of numerous dead whales that have washed onto California’s beaches this year… The cause of these occurrences is still baffling scientists…
NBC Bay Area transcript, Aug 2, 2015: Can’t believe it has happened again — in Pacifica scientists ware trying to figure out exactly what has killed a whale that has washed ashore… the third dead whale to wash ashore in the last few months… Neighbors are concerned… (Moe Flannery, California Academy of Sciences:) “We found injuries consistent with blunt force trauma… We can’t say definitively, but we did see signs, hemorrhaging in the muscle” … Neighbors say it reminds them of 2 other dead whales… (Witness:) “It’s just really sad to see, and this the third one I’ve seen in the last couple of months”… So again, this is still under investigation.
San Luis Obispo Tribune, Jul 8, 2015: Two dolphins die on beach at San Simeon Cove… The baby dolphin… died as trained rescuers frantically tried to keep it alive… “It was heartbreaking, so sad” to hear the dying baby calling out, said Carolyn Skinder, program coordinator for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s southern region… Officials say they don’t yet know what killed the animals… They hope to determine whether the two dolphins were related, and what may have killed them.
More on Northern California whale deaths: Surge in whale deaths along West Coast — Experts: “So many in such a small area is setting off alarms… We really don’t know what’s going on” — Professor: “I’m not sure this is just a natural event… There may be a disease in ocean” — Gov’t: “We’re not even concerned about it” (VIDEOS)