Gray whale washes up on Oregon beach covered in teeth marks

A deceased gray whale calf was found on an Oregon beach this week with teeth marks all over its body.

Jim Rice, program manager with the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, told USA TODAY he was notified Tuesday about the 20-foot-long gray whale calf that washed ashore on Tish-A-Tang Beach in Bandon, Oregon.

Bandon is located in southern Oregon on the Pacific Ocean, about 140 miles southwest of Eugene.

The calf had extensive tooth marks all over its body and “severe injuries to the lower jaw and underside of the body,” which Rice said indicated it had recently died from severe injuries caused by “killer whale predation.”

What do whales eat? In the diet of blue whales, humpback whales, sperm whales and killer whales

What is a Gray Whale?

Gray whales are large whales, up to 49 feet long and weighing about 90,000 pounds. They have one of the longest migration patterns of any mammal, often traveling 10,000 to 14,000 miles round trip.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they were nicknamed “devil fish” because they reacted aggressively when harpooned by hunters. They were hunted almost to extinction, but thanks to commercial whaling moratoriums and conservation efforts, they are now a protected species.

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, they feed primarily on amphipods, and their only major predators are humans and killer whales.

Where are gray whales found?

Although they were once common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, gray whales are now found primarily in the North Pacific, according to NOAA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dead gray whale on Oregon beach covered in teeth marks; Orca accused