A dead humpback whale was spotted in Unalaska Bay on Dec. 4, the third reported dead whale to wash up on the island since Oct. 16.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported the whale to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the same day. The Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network said there is no cause of death.
Fish and Game staff were told to wait for better weather and for the whale to beach before trying to collect more information.
But this isn’t the only dead whale you can see in Unalaska.
The carcasses of two other dead humpbacks remain on the beach at Morris Cove after washing up Oct. 16. There is no cause of death for them either, though NOAA said one showed extensive rake marks from orcas — scratch marks left when orcas drag their teeth across another animal’s skin.
NOAA said 54 humpback whales have been reported stranded in Alaska so far this year and that multiple whales washing ashore in the same area is not unusual due to ocean currents.
