A new technology system designed to protect migrating gray whales from deadly ship strikes has gone online in the San Francisco Bay. Researchers say climate change is driving more whales into the area which is known as one of the nation’s busiest waterways.
UC Santa Barbara scientists, ferry operators and the United States Coast Guard this week launched a real-time whale detection network that uses thermal cameras and artificial intelligence to identify whales and alert nearby vessels.
Researchers say warming ocean conditions is disrupting the Arctic feeding grounds for gray whales, leaving many of them undernourished as they migrate along the California coast. Some whales are now detouring into the San Francisco Bay to rest and search for food, increasing the risk of collisions with ferries and cargo ships.
Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at UC Santa Barbara, said many whales are beginning migration with dangerously low energy reserves.
“They’re effectively running out of fuel now,” McCauley said. “Because they’re leaving now instead of with a full tank, something more like a half tank of gas—less food, less energy reserves, less blubber—many of them getting close to the point of starvation.”
Rachel Rhodes, a researcher at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, said the number of whale deaths recorded last year highlighted the urgency of the problem.
“Last year was especially eye-opening and sobering with 21 dead whales in the San Francisco Bay area last year alone,” Rhodes said. “And of those, 40% showed signs of ship strike.”
The new system includes thermal cameras installed on Angel Island and aboard a San Francisco Bay ferry. Researchers said the technology can detect whale spouts in real time, even at night and during foggy conditions.
When whales are detected, alerts are sent to ship captains and ferry operators so vessels can slow down or change course to avoid collisions.
Researchers say they hope the system will help reduce whale deaths as climate change continues to alter feeding patterns along the West Coast.
