Short Wave

We saved gray whales from extinction. Why are so many dying again?

11 Mar 2026

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In 1999 hundreds of gray whales washed up along the west coast of North America. More in 2000. They lost an estimated 25% of their population. But then the whale population recovered and people moved on. Until it happened again in 2019. And 2020, and 2021. It’s still happening today. Host Regina G. Barber dives into this mystery with marine ecologist Joshua Stewart, who explains how scientists like himself solved it – and the tough questions that came up along the way. Check out our Sea Camp series and our limited run Sea Camp newsletter, featuring deep dives into research, cute critters and games!Interested in more ocean mysteries? Email us your question at [email protected] to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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Short Wave

We saved gray whales from extinction. Why are so many dying again?

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Short Wave

Where did our moon come from?

Eating disorder recovery in a diet culture world

These voicemails save lives

A new approach to brain health, one neuron at a time

Is there still a gender gap in medical research?

Are you pooping all wrong?

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