Watson in the news: his Sea Shepherd clashes with a Norwegian krill ship off Antarctica, amid his long-running anti-whaling activism. Canadian-American founder, born 1950.
Recent studies show gray whales in the Pacific are experiencing high mortality rates, largely due to vessel collisions and Arctic food shortages. A whale found dead in Washington highlights ongoing threats, while efforts to reduce vessel strikes are underway. The population remains critically low, with fewer than 13,000 whales counted since 1970.