Gray whale spends record amount of time in San Francisco Bay, concerning scientists

A gray whale is seen Monday in the San Francisco Bay. A gray whale has been in the San Francisco Bay since early February, a record amount of time that could put the animal at risk of being struck by a ship, according to the Marine Mammal Center. That’s a record for us — we haven’t seen one stay that long before.” During a normal year, the San Francisco Bay gets one or two gray whales that stay for a day or two, according to Keener. Beginning in 2019, more gray whales were seen stopping in the bay, and some washed up along the coast, prompting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare an “unusual mortality event.” So far this migration season, eight gray whales and one humpback whale have been spotted in the bay, raising concerns among scientists who fear the animals could be struck by ships amid heavy maritime traffic between Oakland and San Francisco. “I’ve seen no whales using the bay, and now we see humpbacks come in every year.” Keener encouraged residents to report marine mammals they spot.