Rise in whale sightings in San Francisco Bay sparks concern
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- For the sixth time this year, a dead whale has washed up along a San Francisco Bay beach. But scientists say an even bigger concern is the high number of gray whales that have come into the San Francisco Bay this year.
Video of a gray whale's spout was recorded Thursday by a whale watcher captain in the San Francisco Bay.
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"This year we've had a tremendous amount of whales, and what we're seeing is an activity that I haven't seen in years," says Joe Nazar of San Francisco Whale Tours, with his whale finding dog, Bear.
While there is excitement over the many recent whale sightings, there is also concern.
"The Marine Mammal Center confirms that there's been the fifth death of a gray whale in San Francisco Bay," said Giancarlo Rulli of The Marine Mammal Center.
That's five gray whales and one whale of another species that have washed up this year in the Bay Area.
"We know at least one of these five was probable vessel strike. We also know that at least two were sudden deaths, which leads us to believe, potentially vessel strike. But that's just something we're never going to be able to determine based on the body condition," said Rulli.
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Perhaps what scientists are even more concerned and curious about is the number of gray whales that we are now seeing in the San Francisco Bay.
There have been 30 gray whales that have entered the Bay so far this year, compared to four all of last year.
For a bay that has cargo ships, high-speed commuter ferries, and personal boats on the water daily, it makes for a very busy waterway.
"There are high-speed ferries that are literally stopping in their tracks to allow whales to pass ferries east of Angel Island, where a lot of the sightings have occurred in recent weeks, are taking wider berths around the area," said Rulli.
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"So as an operator, we've always been careful but we are really super careful now, because the whales are everywhere and anywhere," said Nazar.
Rulli says on any given day this week, there are likely six to eight gray whales in the San Francisco Bay.
Usually the bay would be a temporary spot for the whales before their migration continues to the Arctic Circle, but their length of stay has increased this year.
"A third of those 30 gray whales that have entered the bay so far this year have been in the bay for over 20 days," said Rulli.
Thankfully, they are welcome by even the boaters.
"But my favorite whale of all whales is the California gray whale, it's our whale. These whales are incredible. They migrate longer than any species. So I love all whales, but my favorite in my heart is the gray whale," said Nazar.
Experts say you can also help locate whales in the bay. You can download a free app called Whale Alert. If you see a whale, you can log it's location on the map which alerts authorities along the bay.
