Alaska's ninth and tenth dead gray whales reported Thursday
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The unusual mortality event continues for North Pacific gray whales as two more were reported dead by NOAA Thursday.
That brings the total number of gray whales found in Alaska to 10.
NOAA said another was found on the outer coast of Kruzof Island, west of Sitka, but because it was already so decomposed, administrators decided not to bother with a necropsy.
The second one was more recent and is floating near Point Davis and Annette Island south of Ketchikan. If it lands on a beach, biologists will travel down to perform a necropsy.
The announcement comes just days after
.
As reported
, scientists are still unsure of the exact cause of the die-off, but suspect it is related to disruptions in food availability. The total number of dead whales found from Mexico to Canada is now 167.
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