"whales are visiting the Bay with more frequency: Good or Bad?"--Charlotte Mills, 6th Grade
Whales have been seen in the San Francisco Bay with more frequency over the summer. Many have witnessed the whales, leaving them to wonder why the whales are here. However, this is causing scientists to worry about their safety. “With all the ships, the Bay is not a very safe place for the whales,” said Josephine Slaathaug, of the Marine Mammal Center.
Gray whales usually feast all summer long in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, before embarking on the 6,000-mile migration to Mexico. The food they gain over the summer sustains them for the long journey and should be enough for the way back too. Unfortunately, observers have seen the gray whales diving for food here in the Bay, leading scientists to believe that the whales are leaving the Arctic underfed. If the whales don’t have enough fat stored in their bodies to make it there and back, the Bay is the next best place for these gentle giants to feed. Unfortunately, while this is good for tourists, it may not be good for the whales.
Emmy Trieu, the biology teacher here at OSA, says, “ SF Bay is a port hub for deliveries. If gray whales are indeed in the Bay, then I would definitely think that they are at risk of being hit by boats of any size.”
That brings us to our next subject: cargo ships. The Bay has always had a lot of ships in it, and this year is no exception. Unfortunately, this bodes ill for the whales. As the whales swim and eat in the Bay, ships such as cargo vessels, oil tankers, and ferries also share the Bay. These ships bring noise and confusion to the whales, and that's not exactly the whale's favorite things. As the number of gray whales in the Bay intensifies, so does the number of whales in danger from ships.
The number of whales is definitely increasing in the Bay. Marine scientists have confirmed at least 71 different gray whales that have visited our Bay between 2018 and 2023, possibly more! These whales typically stay around 13 - 75 days. Josephine Slaathaug, a researcher at the Marine Mammal Center, found that the whales are usually visiting the Bay between March and April.
There is one more disturbing thing happening with the gray whales in the Bay. Researchers and observers have seen the whales eating in the normal humpback whale fashion, lunge feeding. This is when humpbacks open their mouths and lunge at the surface, shoving fish and other food into the whale's mouth. This development can be seen in both a negative light and a positive light. The negative spin on things is that if they’re feeding in the humpback style, it’s because their normal feeding grounds are no longer productive, and they have had to go looking for an alternative food source. The positive way to see this is that this feeding behavior shows that the gray whales can adapt to their changing conditions and do something they’re not known for! This indicates that gray whales are resilient, and shows hope for the gray whales of San Francisco Bay.
Gray whales usually feast all summer long in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, before embarking on the 6,000-mile migration to Mexico. The food they gain over the summer sustains them for the long journey and should be enough for the way back too. Unfortunately, observers have seen the gray whales diving for food here in the Bay, leading scientists to believe that the whales are leaving the Arctic underfed. If the whales don’t have enough fat stored in their bodies to make it there and back, the Bay is the next best place for these gentle giants to feed. Unfortunately, while this is good for tourists, it may not be good for the whales.
Emmy Trieu, the biology teacher here at OSA, says, “ SF Bay is a port hub for deliveries. If gray whales are indeed in the Bay, then I would definitely think that they are at risk of being hit by boats of any size.”
That brings us to our next subject: cargo ships. The Bay has always had a lot of ships in it, and this year is no exception. Unfortunately, this bodes ill for the whales. As the whales swim and eat in the Bay, ships such as cargo vessels, oil tankers, and ferries also share the Bay. These ships bring noise and confusion to the whales, and that's not exactly the whale's favorite things. As the number of gray whales in the Bay intensifies, so does the number of whales in danger from ships.
The number of whales is definitely increasing in the Bay. Marine scientists have confirmed at least 71 different gray whales that have visited our Bay between 2018 and 2023, possibly more! These whales typically stay around 13 - 75 days. Josephine Slaathaug, a researcher at the Marine Mammal Center, found that the whales are usually visiting the Bay between March and April.
There is one more disturbing thing happening with the gray whales in the Bay. Researchers and observers have seen the whales eating in the normal humpback whale fashion, lunge feeding. This is when humpbacks open their mouths and lunge at the surface, shoving fish and other food into the whale's mouth. This development can be seen in both a negative light and a positive light. The negative spin on things is that if they’re feeding in the humpback style, it’s because their normal feeding grounds are no longer productive, and they have had to go looking for an alternative food source. The positive way to see this is that this feeding behavior shows that the gray whales can adapt to their changing conditions and do something they’re not known for! This indicates that gray whales are resilient, and shows hope for the gray whales of San Francisco Bay.
