Five more gray whales were found dead in theSan Francisco Bay Areawithin the past week, bringing this year's total number of whale deaths up to 14, according to theCalifornia Academy of Sciences. One yearling gray whale was found dead on May 21, an adult gray whale on May 22, another subadult on May 24 and two more adults on May 26, the San Francisco museum confirmed on May 28. The sightings of the stranded whales have been scattered across the Bay Area, varying from Alcatraz, Point Bonita, Berkeley, Southeast Farallon Island and Bolinas. With 13 gray whale and one minke whale deaths confirmed this year, the academy said 2025 has proven to be an unusually high year for fatalities. The group has not seen this many gray whale deaths in a single year since 15 died in 2021 and 14 in 2019, both during the height of what experts call theUnusual Mortality Event. The Eastern North Pacific gray whale population dropped by around 45% following these events. Identifying the cause of death is often challenging for researchers unable to perform necropsies due to advanced decomposition or to the mammals being in inaccessible locations, the academy said. USA TODAY has reached out to the California Academy of Sciences for additional information. The academy also reported an "unusually high number" of gray whale sightings across the Bay Area this year, totaling 33. The gray whales are expected to stay in the bay for another one to two weeks before heading the arctic feeding grounds as part of their annual northern migration. Only four gray whales were spotted in the bay last year, according to the academy, who said researchers are investigating the reason behind the 2025 "massive spike." While it is unclear how the five whales died this week, the organization warned that vessel strikes pose a major risk to whales, whether from large commercial ships to sailboats. Experts are urging all boaters to "be 'whale aware' and continue to slow down." "Gray whales often have a very low profile in the water that can make them difficult to sight, unlike other coastal whales like humpback whales," the academy said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:5 whales found dead in a week in San Francisco Bay Area