The Marine Mammal Center confirmed Thursday the first whale death in the Bay Area of the year. According to authorities, the dead gray whale was spotted near the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The sighting was reported by the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Marine Mammal Center said the whale was confirmed Wednesday to be a 42-foot adult female gray whale, determined to be in “fair” body condition. They add It was likely the whale was killed after being struck by a boat. Officials reported there were at least six gray whales in the San Francisco Bay as of Monday, with the first whale sighting reported on Jan. 21. ...read more read less