Vessel strike kills gray whale in San Francisco Bay

A dead adult male gray whale found near Pier 80 in San Francisco was confirmed to have died from a vessel strike, the Marine Mammal Center said Wednesday. The whale was discovered on June 4 and towed to Angel Island State Park, where a necropsy revealed blunt force trauma consistent with a ship strike, including a broken vertebra and bleeding behind the skull. The Pier 80 whale marks the 12th dead gray whale found in the Bay Area this year, and the fourth in which a vessel strike is suspected. These findings underscore ongoing risks from marine traffic in the region.

WhaleSpotter, an AI-powered detection network, assists in identifying whale presence by scanning the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to two nautical miles away. Experts verify detections before they appear on the Whale Safe website to help mariners navigate away from whales. Since its rollout, the system has contributed to ongoing monitoring of strandings and detections around San Francisco Bay. Marine scientists say that additional tools, including thermal cameras and programs like Whale Smart, could further reduce future strikes by alerting operators in real time.