Whales spotted swimming under SF's Golden Gate Bridge
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Sky7 was overhead as whales swam under the Golden Gate Bridge on Wednesday morning. While their presence is stunning, it does create some complications.
This is a small space for these whales to share with ships, kayaks and kite surfers.
When Chris Gallello heard that the whales had returned to the bay, he grabbed his camera and headed to the bridge. "Last year, I took a lot of photos of the whales out here. So I am hoping to see them again," he said.
It is their second year to venture into our bay. Marine biologists say it is their feeding season, so they are probably chasing food like krill and anchovies.
They aren't sure why now, why these last two years, saying maybe just some smart enterprising whales have figured out this is a yummy place to be.
"We are going to be very much on the lookout this year to see if some of the same whales that kept coming in on a regular basis last year are the same ones coming in this year, so it's a newly-learned behavior," Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary's Mary Jane Schramm said.
It could also be that the humpback whale population has grown, so they are getting creative with where they have to look for food.
Whatever the case, they are here and have motivated some bad human behavior experts want to discourage. "We have seen kite boarders actually jump them as if they were obstacles, and we've seen wind surfers unfortunately go in, repeatedly getting closer and closer to the whales," Schramm said.
But don't hesitate to come out and see them -- just do it from a safe distance.
"The fact that there are whales back here now is just really exciting for me, as just kinda the kid inside me," Gallello said.
Last year, they stayed through August. Officials have created a working group to try to figure out how to protect them from all the ships that come through here.
If you do come to see them, make sure to bring your binoculars.
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