Here's the Gray Whale in the surf zone. It was ~20-25 feet long:
We don't know the cause of death yet, or if this is the same whale that the Orcas attacked.
Although I'm not an expert at all, I scanned for possible clues and noticed a few. Below I'll show a couple of close-ups.
(If you're not comfortable thinking about how this whale might have died, you might want to skip the rest of the pictures below.)
Here's one view of the throat pleats:
I'm sure you noticed those jagged rake marks. Could they be from the teeth of an Orca? (Or a shark?)
Next, a view of the tailstock (just before the flukes):
If you look closely, you'll see additional rake marks along the tops of the "knuckles."
The Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences hope to take a closer look at this whale. If I learn any more about a possible cause of death, I'll post an update.
P.S. For a little more information about Gray Whales, see the post from 1 February 2014 when a juvenile washed ashore a couple of years ago. And if you're interested in the intriguing barnacles that live on these whales, review the post from 24 May 2015.
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