A gray whale was found dead on a San Francisco Bay Area beach on May 23, the 13th washed ashore this year. /VCG Photo

On Saturday, scientists at the Marine Mammal Center performed a necropsy to determine the cause of its death. /VCG Photo

Earlier this year, 12 gray whales were found dead in the area, most of them died of malnutrition and ship strikes. /VCG Photo

The necropsy result is yet to be disclosed. Meanwhile, the soaring rate of gray whale sightings in the area has caused an alarm regarding negative human interactions. /VCG Photo