Gray whales have existed in the Pacific Ocean for over a million years, but right now, they’re vanishing, and most of us have no idea it’s happening.
To help shine a light on this calamity, PEER just released National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data highlighting that Pacific gray whales appear to be facing what scientists call a “Catastrophic Mortality Event.”
The decline in population is caused by multiple threats: starvation linked to the loss of Arctic sea ice and declining food sources, ship strikes, oil spills, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, and noise. That is why we are urging NOAA to act on a 2023 ship-strike-prevention petition and a 2025 petition to relist gray whales as endangered — both still pending.
Helping to save whale populations off the coasts of the United States will be a PEER priority in the coming years and something we all care deeply about.
Sincerely,
Tim Whitehouse
Executive Director
P.S. Thank you to all who’ve already generously donated to our Double Trouble campaign! If you have not yet made a gift, please consider donating today and double your impact!
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