Harpooned Gray Whale Washes Up In California

The Contra Costa Times reports that a Gray whale washed up on Humboldt County beach (California) may have been harpooned off Russia.

Whilst Gray whales are not an unusual site in this region in California USA, bit seeing harpoons stuck in the body is.

The Contra Costa Times reports that 'Humboldt State University Marine Mammal Stranding Network members removed the harpoon, and found the tip of another harpoon embedded in the whale.

The question now is who killed the whale? Initial reports suggest the harpoon is the sort used by Russian Aboriginal Subsistence hunters, and the only permitted to hunt Gray whales are the Chukotka people of northern Russia.

The US Administration attempted to get IWC sanction for the Makah peoples of Washington State, but had to slide the proposal through the IWC by doing a deal with Russia to share a quota of Gray whales in exchange for sharing the IWC Bowhead quota.