Whale watchers were heartbroken on Sunday when they found a dead gray whale on the west side of Camano Island. The whale was reportedly drifting several miles from shore. The Coast Guard said two other whales were swimming around the body. Gray whales have begun their migration to the Northern Pacific Ocean from breeding areas along the coast of Mexico. http://www.kirotv.com/news/19300850/detail.htmlDead Whale Seen Floating Off Camano IslandPosted: 7:30 am PDT April 27, 2009Updated: 9:04 am PDT April 27, 2009CAMANO ISLAND, Wash. -- A dead gray whale was found floating mid-channel in the Saratoga Passage Sunday morning off Camano Island State Park.Susan Berta of the Orca Society said the whale will be towed to shore Monday and a necropsy will be performed Monday or Tuesday to determine the cause of death.SLIDESHOW: Whale's Body Floats Off Camano IslandWhile Berta said it was too early to tell what happened, she said the whale had "tooth rakes" on its pectoral fin that indicated it had been attacked by orcas at some point.She said they also believe the whale was one that was known to have been sick but won't know for sure until the necropsy results are in.Video from Chopper 7 showed the dead mammal floating in the water Monday morning.There are an estimated 10 to 12 gray whales that come to Puget Sound every year. All are tracked and photographed by Cascadia Research, the organization that will be handling most of the investigation once the whale is towed to shore.
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