Dungeness crab season delayed in Bay Area to protect whales

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- You may have a hard time getting fresh Dungeness crab in time for Thanksgiving. California wildlife officials delayed the start of commercial crab season in the Bay Area for the second consecutive year.

The move is to prevent entanglement with whales, which have been spotted in fishing areas. Crab season was set to open on November 15.

Wildlife officials will reassess the risk in mid-November.

Last year the season didn't begin until Nov. 22, the weekend before Thanksgiving. A toxin called demoic acid and a large pool of ocean water, dubbed "the Blob," contributed to the delays in opening the season.

As part of a legal settlement reached over evidence that crab gear has been entangling whales and sea turtles off the California coast, last year's crab season ended two and a half months early.