TILLAMOOK, Ore. (AP) – State park rangers and a contractor have buried a gray whale carcass that washed up on the beach at Sand Lake Recreation Area south of Tillamook.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the dead whale washed up Saturday.

Members of the NOAA West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network took tissue samples from the whale before it was buried.

Last spring, some researches grew concerned following a large number of gray whale deaths along the Pacific coast, many of which appeared to be malnourished.

Research studying the health and number of gray whales this spring has been temporarily halted during the pandemic.

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