Gray whale washes ashore near Fort Bragg amid rise in reported whale deaths

A whale washed ashore on the Mendocino County coastline, as researchers say the numbers of reported whale deaths appear to be rising on the West Coast.

According to the Noyo Center for Marine Science, a female gray whale was found dead Wednesday morning on the beach near Virgin Creek, near the community of Fort Bragg.

In a statement Thursday, the center said it is working with teams from the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center.

"Plans include performing a necropsy on the whale to learn more about the animal as well as any potential related injuries or conditions that may have resulted in the stranding of this individual," the center said on social media.

The center said an increasing number of gray whales are appearing undernourished and dying in the region, noting that 21 gray whales were found dead in San Francisco Bay last year. Seven whale deaths in the bay have been reported so far this year, including a whale that was likely killed in a ship strike in March.

The whale found near Fort Bragg is this year's first recorded whale death in Mendocino County.