In a troubling trend, 22 gray whales have been found dead due to strandings on the beaches of Washington and Puget Sound this year, as reported by King 5 News. This figure already exceeds the total number of strandings recorded at the same point in 2019, which was a record year with 35 strandings. Experts from the Cascadia Research Collective and NOAA Fisheries have identified malnutrition as the most common cause of death among the examined whales, attributing this issue to climate change affecting their prey in the Arctic. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that gray whales are classified as 'sensitive,' indicating they are vulnerable to becoming endangered. Additionally, threats such as entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, and increasing ocean temperatures are contributing to the decline of these marine mammals. Recent observations in Central Puget Sound included one to two malnourished gray whales, with one male found near Bremerton exhibiting signs of malnutrition and blunt force trauma. The situation highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect gray whales in the North Pacific.