A “juvenile” gray whale that somehow found its way into the north fork of the Willapa River in Pacific County may have made its way back to open waters.
The whale was spotted on April 1. While it was thin, it was behaving normally and didn’t appear to have any injuries, according to the Cascadia Research Collection (CRC).
A CRC team was out on the river on Thursday trying to relocate the whale, but was unsuccessful.
“We are giving the whale time and space to leave the river on its own, but plans are being made with our partners at NOAA and WDFW if intervention is needed in the coming days,” CRC wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
It’s unclear how far inland the whale got.
CRC and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with assistance from members of the Chinook and Shoalwater Bay Tribes, conducted an extensive on-water search for the young gray whale.
The whale was not seen on the river on Friday, and CRC said it is hopeful that it made its way back to Willapa Bay and open water.
If the whale is seen again, report it to 360-791-9555.