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SC/68D/CMP/10
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Resource ID
19479
Access
Open
Document Number
SC/68D/CMP/10
Full Title
Gray whale stranding records in Mexico, during the 2022 winter breeding season
Author
S. Mart?nez-Aguilar, A. Gonz?lez-Cisneros, M. Valerio-Conchas, F.M. Rodr?guez-Gonz?lez, R. Lobo-Barrera, L.A. Zamora-Zavala, J.A. Olgu?n-Hern?ndez, F. Castillo-Romero, G.A. Zaragoza-Aguilar, J. Rivera-Rodr?guez, E. Mariano-Me
Publisher
IWC
Abstract
Unusual Mortality Events (UME) occur when mortalities of marine mammals increase above an average annual rate. In 2019 the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a gray whale UME that started that year, along the North Pacific Coast of North America. Examination of some of the stranded whales suggested that a decline in body condition may have contributed to the increase in gray whale mortality but the cause is still undetermined. Gray whale stranding records collected in Mexico between January 1st and April 7th of 2022 indicated that at least 47 gray whales stranded along the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico. As in previous years, most of the strandings (n=32) occurred in Ojo de Liebre lagoon (LOL) and the surrounding areas. From the total number, 19 of these were female gray whales, 26 were males, and 2 were of undetermined sex. The age classes of the dead whales were: 33 adults, 6 subadults, 5 yearling whales and 3 calves. The number of strandings in 2022 is smaller than previous years, but the calving season and search effort in the field has not yet finished.