Gray Whale Unusual Mortality Event Update

Gray whale mother and calf. Drone photo from NOAA.

In January 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a gray whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME) based on the large number of gray whales washing up along the west coast of North America from Mexico to Alaska.

UMEs require a higher level of communication and each month NOAA organizes a call for coordinators involved with the gray whale UME. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is one of these groups.

On the call are representatives of organizations from California to Alaska and include updates from Mexican and Canadian colleagues. The information shared helps keep track of the migration and stranding patterns of the Northeast Pacific grays.

UME Update

As of Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, Mexico reported gray whales in the bays and lagoons where they go to birth, rear their young and mate. Southern California described animals transiting south along the shore at Palos Verde, south of Los Angeles. And Washington has one lone "Sounder" who swam in to feed along Whidbey Island. This one arrived earlier than usual.

For 2020, the number of stranded dead gray whales was lower than in 2019.

The Gray Whale Migration

Gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling 10,000 - 12,000 miles round trip. They begin their northern migration in February, heading toward Alaska from birthing lagoons in Mexico.

Gray whale migration. NASA image, NOJO graphics.

March and April are a good time to look for gray whales along Washington's outer coast and for a subset, known as the Sounders, who wander into Puget Sound to feed on ghost shrimp and other bottom dwelling invertebrates along the shore of Whidbey Island and at the mouth of the Snohomish River near Everett.

Gray Whales and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

The PTMSC has been involved with gray whale strandings a few times. Spirit, the skeleton used with school programs, landed on the shores between Cape George and McCurdy Point during the last gray whale UME declared in 1999.

Articulation of Spirit, in the Gray Whale class at PTMSC.

In May 2016, a gray whale died mid-shipping channel and was towed to Indian Island where we worked to sink it and retrieve the carcass months later.

And, in the spring of 2019 during the most recent UME, Gunther, a large male gray whale, washed ashore near Port Ludlow and was towed to decompose on a private beach in Port Hadlock (making international and local news in 2019 and regional news 2019 again in 2021).

You can find more information about the UME at:
2019-2021 Gray Whale Unusual Mortality Event along the West Coast and Alaska - NOAA
Wildlife officials in Washington seeking homes for rotting whales - King 5 News
A Beached Whale Needs Somewhere to Rot. How About Your Place? - New York Times

Bone Project Protects Elephant Seal Legacy

Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

What started as a decaying elephant seal, washed up on the shores of Marrowstone Island, is now much more than a pile of blubber and bones.

It’s a stunning success story celebrating the renaissance of a species hunted to near-extinction for its oil, one that can inspire future marine biologists.

More than a year has passed since we checked in with Mandi Johnson, AmeriCorps volunteer program educator at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center working on the Northern Elephant Seal Project, and things are moving ahead rapidly.

Last we heard, after recovering the deceased male elephant seal (estimated to be 8 or 9 years old) with the gracious help of Dyanna Lambourn, marine mammal biologist and pinniped* expert at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Johnson and a team of volunteers and other staffers transported the seal’s bones to hang beneath the Fort Worden pier. There, the soft tissues were decomposed in the salt water, an early step in preparing the skeleton for education and possible exhibit use.

After soaking the bones in various mixtures of salt water, soap and ammonia, and peroxide and water, the team carefully moved the bones into a historic Fort Worden building, generously on loan from the Washington State Parks, for further preservation and articulation.

Rib bones and vertebrae, photo by Margot Desannoy.

The bones are now almost all cleaned and coated with resin to preserve them and make them safer and easier to handle for display and teaching purposes.

Also, a bone count is underway. Specialists estimate elephant seals have more than 200 bones compared to the 206 bones in the adult human skeleton.

PTMSC is currently seeking a grant to fund the design of what could be described as a “3D sculptural puzzle” of the seal’s skeleton parts that can be used in the classroom to recreate its structural beauty, bone by bone, flipper by flipper. The idea is to create a hands-on “Elephant (Seal) in the Room” kit, transportable in a sturdy box or frame, along with curriculum materials, bone diagrams and charts. 

Tiny bones from the flippers shown with toothbrush to
indicate relative size. Photo by Margot Desannoy.

“As a child I found puzzles to be frustrating and boring,” Johnson noted, “but I loved to build sculpture-type things. This project is so dynamic, it’s all learning as we go. I am excited about seeing the full skeleton laid out and ready for exhibit, as well as the school project.”

Since December 2019, the elephant seal bone-cleaning team, including Johnson, PTMSC Citizen Science Coordinator Betsy Carlson and four energetic and knowledge-hungry volunteers -- Mary C., Sally Davis, Mike Hilt and Joanne LaBaw -- has worked more than 30 hours sorting and preparing the bones. For guidance, they relied on books such as the "Pinniped Projects, Vol. 4" by Lee “The Boneman” Post, a renowned expert on saving, cleaning, restoring and recreating skeletons of birds and large mammals.

Mandi Johnson with seal dancing ‘cheek to cheek.’ Photo by Margot Desannoy.

Once the bones are consolidated, the team will line them up in order. They hope to complete this phase of the project by late spring or early summer. Then, if the grant application is successful, work will begin on crafting the portable teaching kit.

“This is such a great learning opportunity for the community,” Carlson explained. “Periodically, we process a dead marine mammal to use for display in our exhibit or for educational programs. Our agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration allows us to curate these items.

Betsy Carlson mixes up some resin using Paraloid B72 in a jar to dissolve overnight. Respirators and gloves are safety-first essentials when mixing water with volatile and flammable acetone to create the resin. Photo by Margot Desannoy.

“We are very grateful to Dyanna Lambourn for her invaluable, on-going assistance and to the Washington State Parks for letting us use the Fort Worden space which is well-ventilated and heated, perfect for the bones to be left out safely,” she said. “And of course to NOAA, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the wonderful volunteers who are putting it all together.”

* The pinnipeds (from the Latin meaning ‘fin-footed’) are a group of marine mammals which includes seals, sea lions and walrus (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/pinniped).

Written by Margot Desannoy, PTMSC volunteer.

A Whale of a Time

On May 31, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the abnormal number of gray whale strandings along the West Coast as an Unusual Mortality Event, or UME.

A UME needs to “involve a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demand immediate response."

 

Americorps members, Michael Siddel and Ellie Kravets,  conducting our initial observations. 

The very same week, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center received a report of a stranded adult male gray whale floating in our marine mammal stranding network zone. Over the next few days, we waited for the whale to land and worked out what our plan would be once that happened.

Thanks to many local organizations, NOAA and PTMSC volunteers, we were able to construct a team to move the whale by boat to a more isolated beach location. There, a necropsy was performed in order to determine the cause of death.

Volunteers towing the whale to his new location. 

Finding an appropriate location is important because the remains need to decompose wherever the whale is necropsied. And let me tell you, a 30-ton decomposing whale does not smell pretty!

Would you have guessed a whale had so many intestines? 

As you can imagine, not everyone wants a decomposing whale on their favorite beach walk. In addition, most of Washington's coastline is privately owned. This means a location that isn’t heavily trafficked and one that we have permission to use can be extremely difficult to find.

Fortunately for us, two of our very own volunteers offered up their beach property: Stefanie Worwag and Mario Rivera. Their incredible generosity was reported by numerous news outlets.



As with most of the other gray whales that have stranded during the UME, our whale was found with nothing but some eelgrass and a fruit snack pack in his stomach -- he was extremely malnourished. Currently, NOAA is working to figure out what is the reason behind these increased numbers of emaciated whales.

Two theories are currently under consideration.

First, by studying the West Coast gray whale population trends over the past 30 years, it may be possible that the “carrying capacity” has been reached. In other words, there may be as many gray whales as the West Coast can sustainably support. Gray whale numbers have been increasing and with that comes an increase in competition for food and other resources. This could be the reason behind the spike in mortalities.

The second explanation looks into the possibility that the UME is a result of climate change. It may be possible that warmer Arctic waters are inhibiting the availability of gray whales’ main food sources in those northern waters. 

As more information emerges, we will be sure to update this blog for our supporters.

Written by AmeriCorps Volunteer Program Educator Mandi Johnson.

Washington couple sets example with whale carcass ‘experiment’

UPDATED June 19: NOAA Fisheries seeks others to volunteer waterfront property for whale decomposition

The following gray whale stranding story, reprinted with the permission of NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, first appeared on June 14 and featured Port Townsend Marine Science Center Marine Mammal Stranding Network volunteers Stefanie Worwag and Mario Rivera, and PTMSC Citizen Science Coordinator Betsy Carlson. The story also aired on Seattle's KING 5 News and local public radio affiliates. On June 15, the Associated Press picked up the story and it went viral, appearing on more than 300 media websites in the following 24 hours, and the New York Times followed up with its own story on June 17.  It was even mentioned on June 18 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the Port Townsend Leader ran an update on June 19.

A dead 40-foot gray whale drifted ashore north of Port Ludlow, Wash., on May 28. Photo courtesy Mario Rivera.

The waterfront property that drew Mario Rivera and Stefanie Worwag to the Pacific Northwest about three years ago now has an extra special attraction: the 40-foot carcass of a stranded gray whale.

The whale did not end up on the couple’s rocky beach south of Port Townsend on its own. Rather, marine mammal stranding responders towed it there at the owners’ invitation. The couple volunteers for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, responding to stranded marine mammals, and decided it would be interesting to see the whale decompose and be recycled back into the marine ecosystem.

“That’s the primary reason we did it,” Rivera said. “How many opportunities do you get to watch something like this happen right out in front of you?”

A stranding response team measured the whale as part of an examination that found it to be skinny and 

malnourished, like many other gray whales that have stranded on the West Coast this year. 

Photo courtesy Mario Rivera.

NOAA Fisheries is seeking other waterfront landowners willing to follow the Washington couple’s example and volunteer their properties for the decomposition of other gray whale carcasses washing up at an unusual pace this year. About 30 gray whales have stranded in Washington so far in 2019, the most in about 20 years.

Several of the enormous animals have stranded in the inland waters of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, exhausting most of the known locations where they can be left to decompose naturally. NOAA Fisheries works closely with local, state, and other federal agencies to identify suitable sites, but is seeking additional options this year.

By volunteering sites, landowners can help support the natural processes of the marine environment. Skeletons remaining after decomposition may be used for educational purposes, but must be registered with NOAA Fisheries.

“We’re grateful to Mario and Stefanie for supporting our stranding network and helping us find a location that works for everyone,” said Kristin Wilkinson, Northwest Coordinator for the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

NOAA Fisheries has declared the more than 70 gray whale strandings on the West Coast this year an Unusual Mortality Event (UME), prompting a scientific investigation into the cause. Many of the whales have been skinny and malnourished, suggesting some may not have consumed enough food during their last summer feeding season in the Arctic.

The whale decomposing on Rivera’s and Worwag’s beachfront was emaciated, so it fit that pattern. Worwag is a veterinarian and assisted with a necropsy on the animal.

Landowners Stefanie Worwag and Mario Rivera volunteered their waterfront property south of Port Townsend, Wash., as a site where the whale can decompose. Worwag, a veterinarian, assisted with the necropsy of the gray whale. Photo courtesy Mario Rivera.

The gray whale population last estimated at about 27,000 animals remains strong, but an earlier UME in 1999-2000 lasted two years. Strandings continued throughout that period.

While the UME designation helps provide funding to investigate the gray whale strandings, it does not pay for handling or disposing of carcasses that can weigh up to 40 tons. That is typically the responsibility of landowners where the carcasses end up. In the absence of alternative locations, the stranding network will have little choice but to leave carcasses where they land, which can create local concerns about smell and related impacts.

The whale first drifted ashore in front of houses north of Port Ludlow, Washington, before a stranding
response crew towed it to the site where it will be left to decompose. Photo courtesy Mario Rivera.

The 40-foot male gray whale that Rivera and Worwag agreed to take had first drifted ashore in front of three beachfront homes near Port Ludlow. They understand the reluctance of some homeowners to have a decomposing carcass nearby, but they have found the smell less than they expected.

“Actually, it’s not too bad,” said Rivera, a retired police officer. The stranding network is testing the use of hydrated lime to speed decomposition and mask the smell, but it’s too early to tell if it’s working, he said.

He is not sure how long the whale will take to decompose, but he is interested to find out. The couple has already noticed eagles in the area, possibly scouting for food.

“This is all a big experiment for us,” he said.

Willing landowners should contact Michael Milstein at michael.milstein@noaa.gov or 503-231-6268.

Stefanie Worwag and Mario Rivera: new, old hands for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network

Throughout the 2019 GiveBIG campaign, we are showcasing the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s long-standing commitment to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Plan your donation now -- we have a dollar-for-dollar matching fund of $8,000 -- to support this crucial program that is so vital to the well-being of the marine mammals that make the Salish Sea their home.

Stefanie Worwag and Mario Rivera started volunteering for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network just over a year ago. Stefanie is a veterinarian and Mario is a retired police officer and retired military. 

“What drew us to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network is the strong desire to help animals,” said Mario, who has also volunteered for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Mario Rivera and Stefanie Worwag, right, with the northern elephant seal stranding team.

“We both have a great passion for animals, and the aspiration to learn more about marine life.”

Because Mario and Stefanie are new to the program this season, they have only responded to five or six stranding call-outs. A typical call-out can last anywhere from 1 ½ to 4 hours depending on the situation and location.

“Something we also do before responding is to do a quick research of the type of animal we’re going encounter, to have a working knowledge of the animal,” said Mario.

Despite their relative lack of experience with marine mammals, they have jumped in with both feet.

“On two call-outs, Stefanie assisted with performing necropsies on two mammals, one being a [northern] elephant seal and the other a Steller sea lion,” recalled Mario, who added that the necropsy of the sea lion was a memorable event for Stefanie because they determined the actual cause of death.

“A Ratfish spine had lodged in the animal’s esophagus and migrated into a large vessel in its chest,” said Mario. “He bled out and was septic.”

An unforgettable experience for Mario was the stranded elephant seal.

The team of PTMSC staff and volunteers examine the
stranded northern elephant seal. Staff photo.

“It was huge, about 14 feet long and it weighed approximately 4000 pounds!” Mario exclaimed.

 

The project took on added importance because the PTMSC was allowed to preserve the full skeleton as a tool for future study, education and display. 

Above: Mario in action, left; Stefanie, right, checking on the decomposition 

with with PTMSC's Citizen Science Coordinator Betsy Carlson. Staff photos.

Besides the MMSN program, Stefanie and Mario volunteer for home crew (tank cleaning), beach surveys and public events. On Sunday, April 21, they staffed a PTMSC table at the Finnriver Earth Day Expo, where community organizations showcased their programs in support of environmental protection and stewardship. About 40 people stopped by to learn more about upcoming programs, volunteering and membership. 

Staffing the PTMSC table at the 2019 Finnriver Earth Day Expo.

The PTMSC is very grateful for Mario’s and Stefanie’s support and the ways in which they have rolled up their sleeves – literally – as citizen scientists and volunteers.

“Volunteering for the MMSN is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the marine mammals in this area and possibly be a crucial link in the survivability of the animals,” said Mario. “It is a very rewarding experience.”

To learn more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and other volunteer opportunities at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, visit https://ptmsc.org/get-involved/volunteer.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Network - science, and a love of animals

Underlying the strong commitment of volunteers to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network is their love for the warm-blooded inhabitants of the Salish Sea.

Wendy Feltham, former PTMSC Board Chair, citizen scientist
and photographer extraordinaire! Image by Champion Productions.

Former PTMSC Board Chair and longtime MMSN volunteer Wendy Feltham speaks for many when she says: “I volunteer for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network because the seals, sea lions, elephant seals, and other marine mammals need and deserve to be protected. We are lucky to live by the Salish Sea with so many remarkable animals!”

The love for marine mammals has no age limits. In 2013, Ella Ashford, then age 12, wrote about her encounter with a stranded northern elephant seal pup in downtown Port Townsend.

One summer day while walking with her mother, the couple spotted something unusual on the driftwood-covered beach at Adams Street Park.

“Then to my surprise, one of the logs moved! That’s when I realized it was a very sandy seal,” Ashford wrote. 

A very sandy seal! Photo by Steven Urbanc.

Little did she know she was about to embark on a weeklong vigil to protect the young mammal from harm.

“I was there every day and a few nights, too,” Ashford wrote. “The community became so attached to the seal we even named him. His name is Star. I felt like the name fit, he was the ‘star’ of Port Townsend, that’s for sure.”

Star and Ashford were written up in the local newspaper and many townspeople stopped by to see the young seal.

 

"Star," the northern elephant seal pup that captivated downtown Port Townsend in 2013.

Casey Gluckman, an 11-year MMSN volunteer, recalled another stranding episode in downtown Port Townsend, when two several-hundred-pound northern elephant seals chose the city’s beachfront as their molting spot.

“They kept us hopping,” remembered Gluckman, “especially the one that went for a stroll in the middle of Water Street and had to be ‘encouraged’ back to the beach.

Marine Mammal Stranding Network volunteer Casey Gluckman

“I love helping with the stranding program,” Gluckman says today. “Every call is a different chance to learn more, and answering questions from the public is always rewarding for both the questioner and for me.”

In 2015, AmeriCorps Marine Mammal Stranding Educator Katie Conroy described her first stranding response.

“As we walked up to it, my heart started to melt,” Conroy wrote. “It was the cutest thing I had ever seen! It was not more than two or three months old and it was just resting so peacefully on the beach.”

One of the most important decisions for MMSN responders is to remember their training and give stranded animals space and time to return to their natural habitat. In fact, the Marine Mammal Protection Act protects marine mammals from any human interaction.

“My maternal seal instincts kicked in and all I wanted to do was make sure this adorable sleeping seal pup would be okay,” Conroy continued. “I wanted to protect it from any sniffing dogs and curious children. After about 30 minutes of setting up a barrier of driftwood pieces, I finally said my goodbyes and went home.

Harbor Seal pup sleeping on the beach! Photo by Katie Conroy.

“The next day I checked where the seal had been, and it was gone,” Conroy wrote. “It must have woken up from its slumber and gone back to the sea where its actual mother was waiting, too scared to come ashore.”

When describing the joys of being a MMSN volunteer, former PTMSC board member Jan North says it best.

Former PTMSC board member and citizen scientist Jan North.

“By volunteering with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, I am constantly learning about the lives and behaviors of the seals, sea lions, harbor porpoises, and whales which share our Salish Sea waters and shores. Whether I’m ‘seal pup sitting’ in a public area or measuring and recording a deceased sea lion, it’s so much fun to share ideas with others when I'm on one of our wonderful beaches.”

More...

Interested in learning more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and becoming an on-call stranding response volunteer? There are two upcoming training sessions:

• Tuesday, April 30 in the PTMSC Museum classroom from 1-5 p.m.
• A May training in the Brinnon/Quilcene area, time and location TBA.

MMSN training includes:

• Marine mammal stranding network history and purpose
• Marine mammal species identification
• Your role as a responder to both live and dead animals
• How to be a “seal sitter”
• Practice responding to stranded animals

For more information, contact Mandi Johnson at mjohnson@ptmsc.org or Betsy Carlson at bcarlson@ptmsc.org.

A look at the Marine Mammal Stranding Network

One of the first efforts to aid a stranded marine mammal was documented by the PTMSC in 1986, when a stranded harbor seal pup, nicknamed Itti-Vik, was cared for by a group of 20 PTMSC volunteers.

Itti-vik, meaning “spirit of the sea,” was brought to the PTMSC in 1986.

That same love for animals and dedication to science has fueled the PTMSC’s volunteer-driven MMSN program ever since.

Not all stranded mammals are found alive. But even in death, stranded marine mammal bodies can provide important information about the Salish Sea ecosystem.

Such was the case with a male northern elephant seal that was reported on Marrowstone Island on October 31, 2018.

Michael Siddel, Citizen Science Educator AmeriCorps Member, and PTMSC 

Citizen Science Coordinator Betsy Carlson examine the front flipper of the

northern elephant seal found on Marrowstone Island in 2018.

Measuring over 13 feet from the tip of his head to the tip of his tail – not counting his rear flippers – the size of the animal was impressive. In addition to collecting quantitative data, the team of PTMSC staff, AmeriCorps and volunteers sought clues for the cause of the elephant seal’s death.

Permission to conduct a necropsy (an autopsy performed on an animal) was given by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a team was immediately assembled under the guidance of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The scientific value of a necropsy is indispensable in the evaluation of an animal’s life cycle as well as its death.*

As an added benefit, the PTMSC was allowed to preserve the full skeleton as a tool for future study, education and display.

Northern Elephant Seal - Skeleton Update

Since November, the remains of our northern elephant seal have been naturally decomposing underneath our pier. Open-water maceration is one of the easiest methods for an organization like the Port Townsend Marine Science Center to manage an animal of this size. This allows the microorganisms in the ocean to “clean” the bones for us and keeps things like the smell to a minimum. However, this option can take a fair amount of time. So, I have been patiently waiting…

Curious why we have these remains? Read more on how and why we obtained them by clicking this link to a previous blog post.

We wrapped the skull in netting during the boil process
to help keep the bones from falling out of place.
Photo credit: Johanna King

The skull before we started the boiling process.
Photo credit: Johanna King

Vertebrae boiling in one of the pots. 

Finally, in late December, we decided to pull the bones up from underneath our pier and see how far the decomposition had progressed. To our surprise, we found some of the bones in an advanced state of deterioration and ready for the next stage.

There are a few steps involved in processing bones for display in our exhibits. First, we must boil the bones as a way to cleanse and begin the degreasing procedure. Marine mammals tend to have especially oily bones, so the second step continues with a technique specifically designed for degreasing the bones.

Lastly, we will soak the bones in a hydrogen peroxide solution to whiten the bones for display. The flippers have not quite finished decomposing, however, so they were sent with volunteer Howard Teas to spend some time in his compost pile. Once they are ready, they will go through the same process for cleaning and aesthetics.

Mandi Johnson showing off a vertebrae in the steam. Photo credit: Johanna King

As you can see, this is a lengthy process!

PTMSC Citizen Science Coordinator Betsy Carlson and I started our boiling procedure on a beautiful sunny day in late January and had quite the setup. Volunteers Anne Seeley and Roy Clark loaned us two propane burners and three large pots, allowing us to have several sets of bones boiling at once.

Just behind our museum - our bone boiling work station!

Because we planned to boil these bones for several hours, this was an all-day ordeal. I even moved my “office” outside so I could keep an eye on the bones, answer questions from people passing by (asking why it smelled so bad), and get work done.

In my opinion, I couldn’t imagine a better workday!

Written by AmeriCorps Volunteer Program Educator Mandi Johnson

Northern elephant seal stranding on Marrowstone Island

Marine mammal necropsied, skeleton preservation underway

Being the brand new Marine Mammal Stranding Network AmeriCorps at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, every stranding call is new and exciting. So when the line rang on October 31 for an approximately 14-foot long northern elephant seal that had washed ashore, I was more than thrilled for the opportunity.

This seal was originally reported the day prior on the smartphone app iNaturalist, which serves as an online social network for citizen scientists by creating a platform for sharing and mapping local natural observations. Shortly after this posting, our stranding line received a phone call officially reporting the animal to us.

Several hours later, the entire crew of new PTMSC AmeriCorps staff departed to learn and practice what to do with our first dead stranded mammal.

The animal was found north of Liplip Point on the southeast corner of Marrowstone Island. We determined it to be an adult male northern elephant seal with no obvious external injuries.

This particular area of beach is very remote and difficult to get to, but thankfully we had received permission to use the stairs of the land owner who reported the animal. Thus, on Halloween we began our trek down the excitingly precarious stairs you will see pictured to the right.

What truly amazed me (and I think I can speak for everyone else there) was the seal’s size. He measured 406 cm from the tip of his head to the tip of his tail. That’s over 13 feet! And that didn’t include his rear flippers.

Michael Siddel, Citizen Science Americorp member, and PTMSC 

Citizen Science Coordinator Betsy Carlson 

examining the front flipper. 

While there, we worked with the two PTMSC volunteers who were called to respond to the seal and the individual who reported the mammal. This work included collecting data on the animal, such as: observations, quantitative data (e.g. weight measurements), and looking for the possibility of human interaction (i.e. any indications human activities may have affected their life or death).

Because the Marine Mammal Stranding Network works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to collect and manage data on stranded marine mammals along our coasts, this information gathering process is crucial.

Almost immediately upon our return, rumors began floating on the possibility of gaining permission to do a necropsy and preserve the full skeleton as an education tool. By the following afternoon, this became a reality and plans were in the works to begin as soon as the next day.

Friday morning, the small team assembled and began a necropsy and flensing procedure under the guidance of Dyanna Lambourn, our go-to pinniped person at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Necropsies give us the opportunity to gain a better insight on the cause of death by acquiring samples to send to a lab, and the ability to look at the conditions of the internal organs.

The team of PTMSC volunteers and staff participating in the necropsy.

Currently, the bones have been moved to beneath our pier to begin the process of soft-tissue decomposition under water. Now, we wait until the bones are ready for processing before we can begin articulating the skeleton for exhibit. Stay tuned for exciting developments!

Volunteer Bruce Carlson transporting the seal to its new temporary resting place. Photo credit: Wendy Feltham 

Written by Mandi Johnson, Americorps Volunteer Program Educator

Sunning The Whale Day

Friday, September 1

11am-5pm

Fort Worden Pier

Come visit the PTMSC when we "daylight" the gray whale bones on the Pier for a long dose of sun and warmth. For this one-day-only event, staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about gray whales, how this one came to be part of the PTMSC collection, and what we can learn from marine mammals in our midst. You can also learn more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Network at work right here in Port Townsend.

In May of 2016, a juvenile gray whale died in Elliott Bay in Seattle and was towed to a site on Indian Island provided by the US Navy. A team of volunteers, staff, and AmeriCorps members assisted with the necropsy and additional preparation of the body for preservation of her skeleton. The PTMSC has been storing the skeleton until it can be articulated for use in educational programs and exhibits. 

Gray Whale Project

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is trying to raise $10,000 for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network by August 31 to ensure that we can continue to help stranded seal pups and other marine mammals. Donate to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network today to see your donation matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor! 

Last week we raised the dead, guiding a seine net full of gray whale bones to shore with the help of a pile of barrels, hardy swimmers, some borrowed boats, and a gaggle of great volunteers. Collectively we breathed a sigh of relief knowing that all our work and worry had paid off and this young whale could become part of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s educational programs and exhibits.

This is the story of how this gray whale got from here:

To here:

Just two and a half months ago, on May 12, 2016, a young, female gray whale (officially identified as CRC-1524) died after floating for several days in Elliot Bay, watched closely by scientists, NOAA, Marine Mammal Stranding Network observers, and even ferry boat captains. Her body was towed to Indian Island where the Navy pulled her to shore and Cascadia Research Collective conducted a necropsy.

As the Port Townsend Marine Science Center covers response for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in eastern Jefferson County, Executive Director Janine Boire was contacted to see if we wanted to collect the whale for its skeleton. She said, “Yes!”

In six days, we planned and equipped a team to wrap and sink the 29-foot, 13,000-plus-pound whale. On May 18, the entire Marine Science Center staff, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers prepped and wrapped the whale in re-purposed Spectra salmon netting donated by a local fisherman. The whale's pectoral fins and baleen were removed before wrapping. She was then towed off shore where her body would be naturally decomposed by benthic organisms, keeping the nutrients in the Salish Sea.

It took only 11 weeks underwater for most of the blubber and other soft tissue to be eaten — much faster than we'd imagined! Every two weeks we visited and filmed the “burrito” as she was fondly referred to during the net-wrapping process. Our collection of muddy water videos allowed us to monitor the decomposition rate and check on lines and anchors.

By the end of July, the bones were ready to pull. There is a fine time balance between removing the tissue and keeping the bones. We had to to get the bones out of the water before the polychaete worms and organisms started to dissolve the bones themselves. Now we just needed to lift a few tons of bones up off the bay floor and onto dry land without a crane or lift!

Gray whale bone retrieval took two days — one day to float the whale by adding flotation at a morning low tide, then towing it to shore on the evening high tide, and one day to scrub, label, and move the bones to a greenhouse to dry.

Using the tides to our advantage, an ingenious volunteer built sufficient flotation to lift the bones using plastic barrels and a surplus helicopter cargo net. We swam the barrels out at a minus tide with assistance from a volunteer boat pilot. Our swimmers tied them on underwater, mostly to the head — the heaviest part. Then we waited for the evening high tide. It worked!

Once ashore, the water subsided leaving a pile of netting, seaweed, crabs, and what was left of a graceful gray whale. Most of the lumbar and caudal (tail) vertebrae were still together, which made identification and inventory easier, but the middle was a jumble of ribs and thoracic and cervical vertebra all covered with a fine layer of barnacles.

The bone-recovery team took over, setting up a trash pump for washing bones and cutting away the lines and netting. Several crabs tangled in the net were rescued as well. Bones were numbered and identified by marine veterinarian Dr. Pete Schroeder along with other experienced volunteers. Scraping barnacles off the surface of the bones took the most time, but the bones cleaned up well.

Clean bones were loaded into empty flotation barrels and pick-up trucks. Since we were on Indian Island Naval Magazine property, Navy security required that all of our whale crew and vehicles pass security screening. We had an escort with us at all times and needed to come and go as a big group.

Bones packed, boat ramp washed, and all volunteers accounted for, we headed over to Marrowstone Island and the backyard greenhouse of a dear friend who graciously lent us the space to dry the bones.

This was truly a team effort from necropsy to drying the bones. There will be more opportunities to get involved as we clean, repair, number, and articulate the bones to display the skeleton. Thanks to everyone involved.

Photos 1 courtesy of NOAA | Photo 2 & 4-9 by Marine Science Center | Photo 3 & 10-12 by Wendy Feltham

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BETSY CARLSON is the Citizen Science Coordinator at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Check out our citizen science projects and learn how to get involved.

In the past, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network Hotline and training for the team of Marine Science Center volunteer responders has been funded by a highly competitive grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Unfortunately, funds are very limited and this year our grant was not renewed. We urgently need your help to protect the future of our marine mammals in the Salish Sea. Please donate today to help us raise $10,000 for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network by August 31.