Feds Will Try to Protect Whales Off Coast of San Francisco Some
good news for a change: Feds to Reroute SF Bay Ships to Protect
Whales Scientists studying the carcass of a 47-foot fin whale
that washed up on a beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore
last month found the creature’s spine and ribs severed, likely
from the propeller of one of the huge cargo ships that sail
those waters. There have been many victims of such accidents in
recent years as migrating blue, fin and humpback whales have
been lured close to California’s shore by plentiful krill, the
shrimp-like organisms they eat. All three species are
endangered. Now, after a two-year effort spurred by the uptick
in accidents, federal maritime officials have approved a plan to
protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay. It includes
rerouting shipping traffic and establishing better ways to track
whale locations. The changes crafted by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, shipping industry representatives,
whale researchers and the