Trending Now - Real-time Whale Detection Network Debuts in San Francisco Bay
WHO:
ABC News - Thomas Hall, director of operations for San Francisco Bay Ferry
ABC News - Rachel Rhodes, project scientist at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
ABC News - Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff lab
ABC News - Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center
ABC News - Caitlynn Birch, Oceana’s Pacific campaign manager and a marine scientist
WHAT:
ABC News - The WhaleSpotter system is designed to track whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.
ABC News - The first hours of testing of the WhaleSpotter system produced an immediate flood of detections, indicating significant whale activity in the area.
ABC News - Scientists expect the overlap between whales, ships, and fishing gear to persist as climate change reshapes ocean conditions and whale migration patterns.
ABC News - Scientists say the figures of gray whale deaths likely underestimate the true toll as many whale carcasses sink or are swept back out to sea before they are ever found or reported.
ABC News - The eastern North Pacific gray whale population has decreased by half over the last 10 years, with just 13,000 remaining, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
ABC News - Thirty-six whales were confirmed entangled off the West Coast in 2024, the highest number since 2018, according to NOAA.
ABC News - At least 10 more gray whales have died in the Bay Area so far this year.
ABC News - The WhaleSpotter system is the first to directly integrate land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts, allowing whale sightings to be relayed in near-real time to ships navigating the bay.
ABC News - One thermal camera was installed on Angel Island, and a second will soon be fixed aboard a ferry traveling between downtown San Francisco and Vallejo.
ABC News - A new whale detection network called WhaleSpotter launched in San Francisco Bay.
ABC News - The network tracks whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away.
ABC News - At least 40% of the 21 gray whales found dead last year in the Bay Area were killed by ship strikes.
ABC News - The eastern North Pacific gray whale population has decreased by half over the last 10 years, with just 13,000 remaining.
ABC News - Thirty-six whales were confirmed entangled off the West Coast in 2024, the highest number since 2018.
WHERE:
ABC News - San Francisco Bay
ABC News - The high traffic corridor between Angel Island, Alcatraz, and Treasure Island
ABC News - California coast
WHEN:
ABC News - The whale detection network launched this week.
ABC News - The highest number of dead gray whales found in the Bay Area in 25 years occurred last year.
ABC News - California approved commercial use of ropeless pop-up crab fishing gear for the first time this spring.
WHY:
ABC News - A severe marine heat wave lingering off the California coast is shrinking the band of cold, nutrient-rich water where krill, anchovies, and sardines thrive.
ABC News - Climate change is pushing starving gray whales into the San Francisco Bay.
ABC News - Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months.
HOW:
ABC News - The WhaleSpotter system uses artificial intelligence to automatically flag potential whale sightings, which are verified by trained marine mammal observers before alerts are sent to mariners.
ABC News - The WhaleSpotter system is the first to directly integrate land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts, allowing whale sightings to be relayed in near-real time to ships navigating the bay.
ABC News - One thermal camera was installed on Angel Island, and a second will soon be fixed aboard a ferry traveling between downtown San Francisco and Vallejo to create a “moving data collection platform.”
ABC News - The ropeless pop-up crab fishing gear system stores ropes and buoys on the seafloor until fishermen return and trigger an acoustic release that brings the gear to the surface.
ABC News - The WhaleSpotter system uses artificial intelligence to automatically flag potential whale sightings, which are verified by trained marine mammal observers.
ABC News - Alerts are sent via radio to ferry operators, vessel traffic controllers, and posted publicly on the Whale Safe website.
ABC News - Thermal cameras are used for constant monitoring, operating through the night and in foggy conditions.
(UPDATED May 20, 2026 19:42 UTC)
The WhaleSpotter system has been launched to track whale blows and heat signatures from up to two nautical miles away, helping mariners slow down or reroute when whales are in the vicinity. Initial testing of the system revealed a surge in detections, showcasing significant whale activity in the area. Scientists warn that as climate change continues to alter ocean conditions and whale migration patterns, the interaction between whales, ships, and fishing gear is likely to remain a pressing issue.
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(UPDATED May 20, 2026 10:04 UTC)
Scientists are warning that the number of gray whale deaths is likely underestimated, as many carcasses sink or are washed away before they can be reported. The eastern North Pacific gray whale population has plummeted by half over the last decade, leaving only about 13,000 remaining, and in 2024, thirty-six whales were confirmed entangled off the West Coast, marking the highest number since 2018. To help protect these whales, the WhaleSpotter system has been launched, integrating land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts, and thermal cameras are being installed on Angel Island and aboard a ferry to enhance real-time data collection.
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(UPDATED May 20, 2026 08:08 UTC)
At least ten more gray whales have died in the Bay Area this year, a troubling trend attributed to a severe marine heat wave off the California coast that is disrupting the cold, nutrient-rich waters essential for marine life. In response, the WhaleSpotter system has been launched, integrating land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts to relay whale sightings in near-real time to ships navigating the bay. Additionally, a thermal camera has been installed on Angel Island, with plans for a second camera to be fixed aboard a ferry traveling between downtown San Francisco and Vallejo, enhancing efforts to monitor these majestic creatures.
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(UPDATED May 20, 2026 06:20 UTC)
A new whale detection network called WhaleSpotter has launched in San Francisco Bay, utilizing artificial intelligence to track whale blows and heat signatures from up to two nautical miles away. This initiative comes in response to alarming statistics, including a significant decline in the eastern North Pacific gray whale population and the tragic fact that at least 40% of the 21 gray whales found dead last year in the Bay Area were killed by ship strikes. The system sends alerts to ferry operators and vessel traffic controllers, ensuring that these majestic creatures can be monitored effectively, even in challenging conditions like fog and at night.