Remains of Beached Whale Could Hold Clues to the Past

A Native American tribe is captivated by a washed-up Bryde’s whale on tribal land near Puget Sound.

The first Bryde's whale ever found north of California washed up dead in Washington's Puget Sound. The whale was just under 39 feet long and appeared to be an immature male. John Calambokidis/Cascadia Research

When reported sightings of an unusual lone whale in Puget Sound started coming in last month, it caught the attention of a nonprofit that protects threatened marine mammals. But when the whale—a breed typically found only in the waters off California and Mexico—died, a local Native American tribe was captivated.

The Bryde’s whale (pronounced brew-dees), was found within Squaxin Island tribal land, and after some internal debate, tribal leaders decided it was their responsibility to take care of the remains.

The animal was first reported dead on Jan. 16, and three days later it was in the hands of the regional office of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, the nonprofit organization Cascadia Research Collective, and the Squaxin Island tribe.

Typically, beached whales are dragged out to deeper waters to decay by federal fisheries authorities. But this time was different.

“We had to ask ourselves, ‘is this whale important to us?’” said Rhonda Foster, director of the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department. “It died in traditional territory, and didn’t go to any other tribes’ territories, [so] we decided it was a gift.”

With just over 1,000 members, the Squaxin tribe is still closely tied to their land, customs, and traditional food—including oysters, clams, geoduck, and salmon.