THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Nearly 1 in 5 Gray Whales That Enter San Francisco Bay Die There Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email Reddit TMMC-1-91, also known as ‘Ladybug’, swimming in central San Francisco Bay – pictured with the skyline of the city. This individual later died. Credit: Josephine Slaathaug © The Marine Mammal Center. The Marine Mammal Center NOAA-NMFS Permit #26532 Gray whales are turning to San Francisco Bay for survival, but for many, it’s a fatal detour. Gray whales are famous for their long migration between Arctic feeding grounds and the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico. But as climate change reshapes ocean ecosystems, these whales are beginning to behave in unexpected ways. Some have recently been spotted feeding in unusual locations, including the busy and hazardous waters of San Francisco Bay. Scientists studying a surge in whale deaths have found that nearly 20% of gray whales seen entering the Bay later died there, often after being struck by boats. “Gray whales have a low profile to the water when they surface, and this makes them difficult to see in conditions like fog, which are common to San Francisco Bay,” explained Josephine Slaathaug of Sonoma State University…

Nearly 1 in 5 gray whales die after entering the San Francisco Bay By Gennaro Tomma April 13, 2026 at 12:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Listen to this article This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey . (See our AI policy here .) Spotting a gray whale in San Francisco Bay can be thrilling, but researchers now know it can be bad news for the marine mammals. Nearly 1 in 5 gray whales that enter the bay die there , researchers report April 13 in Frontiers in Marine Science. For a population that has lost hundreds of individuals in recent years, the toll is another reminder of trouble along the whales’ 16,000-kilometer migration route. Most gray whales ( Eschrichtius robustus ) migrate from the freezing Arctic waters, where they eat, all the way to Mexico, where they stop for some time to mate and give birth, before returning to the Arctic to eat again. The trip is usually nonstop. But in 2018, researchers noticed that some possibly hungry whales began m…

Whales are showing up in San Francisco Bay. New ship alerts could help ... Whales are showing up in San Francisco Bay. New ship alerts could help protect them NPR | By Lauren Sommer Published June 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Darrin Allen / The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA Gray whales are showing up in San Francisco Bay, a detour on their long migrations from Mexico to Alaska. They seem to be searching for food, as changing ocean conditions reduce availability of their normal prey in the Arctic. Gray whales used to be a rare sight in San Francisco Bay. Now, their spouts are appearing off Alcatraz Island in one of the busiest waterways in the country. The whales are making a pitstop on their long migrations from Mexico to Alaska, detouring under the Golden Gate bridge for a snack as climate change is shrinking their normal food supply in Arctic waters. But as gray whales try to adapt to one human-caused impact by feeding in San Francisco Bay, it's putting them squarely in the path of another hazard: ships. Of 16 gray whales seen in San Francisco Bay this year, seven have died. Researchers have found evidence that several were killed by s…

Nearly 18% of gray whales entering San Francisco Bay die there, mostly from ship strikes. A new AI thermal camera on Angel Island now detects their spouts up to 4 miles away, 24/7 - alerting captains in real time. 🐋 #TheLolgic #graywhale #sanfranciscobay #savethewhales #whalespotter

Scientists Race to Figure Out Why Grey Whale Deaths are Spiking A gray whale raises a pectoral fin out of the water in Baja California, Mexico. Brandon Cole Isla Santo Domingo, one of several barrier islands between southern Baja California’s Magdalena Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is uninhabited. Except in winter. From January to April, groups of people occupy rows of tents set up against the wind-sculpted sand dunes, hoping for a chance to glimpse the hundreds of gray whale mothers and calves that come to winter in the bay. A similar whale-watching camp pops up in Laguna San Ignacio, almost 200 miles to the north. These human visitors spend several hours each day in small boats known as pangas in order to see the whales up close. The pangeros from nearby Puerto Lopez Mateos who drive the boats have an eye for spotting surfacing whales while keeping a respectful distance. People often see the whales right from the beach as well. The place feels like a small slice of paradise—the tranquil bay, pristine dunes, starlit nights and gentle giants. But trouble has come to paradise. Scientists are reporting fewer calves, emaciated adults, and even some dead whales stranded on the beaches he…

Whales are showing up in San Francisco Bay. New ship alerts could help protect them | NPR & Houston Public Media Gray whales are showing up in San Francisco Bay, a detour on their long migrations from Mexico to Alaska. They seem to be searching for food, as changing ocean conditions reduce availability of their normal prey in the Arctic. (Darrin Allen | The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA) Gray whales used to be a rare sight in San Francisco Bay. Now, their spouts are appearing off Alcatraz Island in one of the busiest waterways in the country. The whales are making a pitstop on their long migrations from Mexico to Alaska, detouring under the Golden Gate bridge for a snack as climate change is shrinking their normal food supply in Arctic waters. But as gray whales try to adapt to one human-caused impact by feeding in San Francisco Bay, it's putting them squarely in the path of another hazard: ships. Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it The Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington state has been buying land in its traditional territory and removing levees. The goal is to turn farmland into wetlands with the hopes of restoring Chinook salmon. Of 16 gray wh…

Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there ... April 13, 2026 Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there, scientists find by Frontiers edited by Stephanie Baum , reviewed by Robert Egan Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread The GIST Add as preferred source TMMC-1-91, also known as "Ladybug," swimming in central San Francisco Bay—pictured with the skyline of the city. This individual later died. The Marine Mammal Center NOAA-NMFS Permit #26532. Credit: Josephine Slaathaug / The Marine Mammal Center Gray whales migrate from Arctic waters full of food to the lagoons of Baja Mexico—but as the climate crisis gathers pace, they have been sighted foraging in unexpected places. Recently, some have begun to explore the dangerously busy waters of San Francisco Bay. Scientists at the Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences investigating an unexpectedly high death toll amo…

Whale heat signatures in San Francisco Bay being tracked to prevent ... Marine scientists say that roughly 40% of gray whales that die in San Francisco Bay are killed in collisions with ships. Now, scientists are using AI to try to save the lives of those whales. More and more people are spotting gray whales in San Francisco Bay. Scientists say climate change is impacting their food source, forcing the whales to venture into the bay for food. While many are thrilled to see the whales, this has also increased the number of dead whales found in the area. "The problem has been getting worse," Dr. Douglas McCauley, the director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, said. "Last year was an awful year for gray whales in San Francisco. We saw 21 gray whales that died in the greater Bay Area. So far, we saw seven gray whales and a large fraction of those are being killed by ships." And those are the whales that scientists believe they can save. "This is a problem we can solve right now," Dr. McCauley said. "That this new data and the community came around it can solve." The first major step in saving the whales from ship strikes officially launched this week. A group of marine mammal e…

Gray whales are entering San Francisco Bay and many aren't surviving Gray whales are known for their long migration between food-rich Arctic waters and the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico. But as climate change alters ocean conditions, some whales are behaving in unexpected ways. In recent years, a number of gray whales have been spotted feeding in unfamiliar areas, including the heavily trafficked waters of San Francisco Bay. Researchers studying an unusually high number of whale deaths have found that nearly 20% of the gray whales seen entering the Bay did not survive, with many killed by boat strikes. "Gray whales have a low profile to the water when they surface, and this makes them difficult to see in conditions like fog which are common to San Francisco Bay," explained Josephine Slaathaug of Sonoma State University, lead author of the article inFrontiers in Marine Science. "Additionally, San Francisco Bay is a highly trafficked waterway, and the Golden Gate Strait serves as a bottleneck through which all traffic and whales must enter and exit." Climate Change and Shifting Whale Behavior Gray whales typically do not feed during their migration to and from tropical breeding gro…