The debris, while abundant, represented about 1 percent to 2 percent of the stomach contents, which consisted mostly of algae, said John Calambokidis of the Olympia-based Cascadia Research Collective. There is no sign that it caused the whale's death.
But it clearly indicates that the whale had tried to feed in urban waterways where it was exposed to debris and contaminants, he said.
Gray whales range as far north as the Arctic in summer and winter in Mexican waters.
April is the time of year when whales that didn't get enough to eat in their Alaskan feeding grounds may be running low on reserves, whale researchers noted.
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