North American gray whale counts dwindling for the last two years

An assessment released Friday shows the population is down 38% from its peak in 2015 and 2016

US researchers say the number of gray whales off western North America has continued to dwindle during the last two years, a decline that resembles previous population swings over the past several decades but is still generating worry.

According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries assessment released Friday, the most recent count put the population at 16,650 whales - down 38% from its peak during the 2015-16 period. The whales also produced the fewest calves since scientists began counting the births in 1994.