April 22, 2026
The San Francisco Bay is a critical wildlife corridor and habitat for fish, seabirds and many marine mammals. In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular stay over site for humpback whales and California Gray Whales to visit and feed. In the past few years, the Bay has become increasingly treacherous to our denizens of the deep. At Shark Stewards, our mission is to protect the ocean’s marine megafauna and the ecosystems they depend on. This week, a critical piece of legislation was introduced that directly addresses a mounting crisis in Bay waters.
In 2025, 24 whales died in the San Francisco Bay Area according to the California Academy of Sciences, marking this the highest mortality rate in 25 years. Of these, 21 were gray whales, with many deaths attributed to vessel strikes as the animals navigated busy shipping lanes. A 2026 report found that roughly 18% of gray whales that entered the bay between 2018 and 2025 died there.
A Crisis in the Bay
In 2025 an unusually high number of sightings of whales were reported in the San Francisco Bay. According to the Marine Mammal Center’s Center’s Cetacean Conservation Biology Team, more than 30 individual gray whales confirmed via photo identification. By comparison, only six gray whales were sighted in the bay in 2024. Roughly one-third of these whales have stayed in the bay for at least 20 days, and their overall body condition has ranged from normal to emaciated.
In 2025 NOAA estimates that approximately 100 whales died inside the San Francisco Bay and along the coast of the San Francisco Bay, an area of intense commercial shipping traffic. Over 40% of the gray whale deaths were linked to vessel strikes, while others were suspected to be malnourished. The statistics are grim. Already this year, nine gray whales have perished in the wider Bay Area according to the Marine Mammal Center’s Whale Stranding list.
To counter this, Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16) introduced the “Save Willy Act,” a bill designed to prevent the deadly ship strikes that are claiming the lives of whales in record numbers.
A combination of climate change and shifting ecosystems is driving whales into harm’s way. Rapidly warming temperatures in the Arctic are disrupting the growth of amphipods—the tiny crustaceans that serve as the primary food source for gray whales. With their traditional feeding grounds depleted, whales are arriving in the San Francisco Bay malnourished and desperate for food.
“An an undergraduate I spent years studying these animals in the lagoons of Baja, where they give birth and nurse their young,” says Shark Stewards Director David McGuire. “To see their population recover was a triumph of the endagered species act. and human intervention starvation and the threat of a massive hull in the shipping lanes of the Golden Gate is heartbreaking. We are seeing whales enter the Bay more frequently and stay longer simply because they are searching for the calories they need to survive the journey north.”
Scaling Impact: The “Whale Desk”
The Save Willy Act proposes a practical, high-tech solution to this intersection of biology and commerce. The bill would establish a “Whale Desk” at the U.S. Coast Guard’s San Francisco station. This desk would act as a centralized hub, crowd-sourcing real-time sighting data from researchers, commercial mariners, and recreational boaters.
By building a centralized alert system, the Coast Guard can notify vessel operators the moment a whale enters a high-traffic area, allowing for speed reductions and course corrections that prevent collisions. The bill also directs the evaluation of innovative tracking technologies, such as acoustic sensors and thermal imaging, to ensure we are using every tool available to protect these “magnificent creatures,” as Congressman Liccardo aptly described them.
The Power of the Endangered Species Act
We know that conservation works because we have seen the results. The Eastern Pacific Gray Whale is one of the greatest success stories of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). After being hunted to the brink of extinction, the population surged under federal protection, peaking at nearly 30,000 individuals.
However, that recovery is now under threat. The deaths are part of a larger “unusual mortality event” for the Eastern North Pacific gray whale population, which dropped to roughly 12,500 by 2025 from 27,000 in 2016. This decline underscores why the ESA is more important than ever; it provides the framework necessary to manage species not just during their recovery, but during the environmental shifts brought on by a changing climate.
Beyond Biology: The Economic Impact
Protecting whales is an economic imperative as much as a moral one. During our Farallon wildlife trips, we see firsthand the awe and inspiration these animals spark in the public. They are the heart of a massive eco-tourism industry.
“There is a profound joy in seeing a whale breach or watching a mother and calf navigate the coastline,” McGuire notes. “But beyond the emotion, these whales are economic engines.” In California alone, whale watching and related maritime tourism contribute billions of dollars to the state’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs from San Diego to the Oregon border. Investing in their safety is an investment in our coastal economy.
Call to Action: Support the Save Willy Act
The whales are doing their part to survive—navigating thousands of miles in changing seas. It is time for us to do ours. We urge you to contact your representatives and ask them to support Congressman Liccardo’s Save Willy Act. Furthermore, we must continue to defend the Endangered Species Act in Congress. It is the most powerful tool we have to ensure that the “Save Willy” effort isn’t just a temporary fix, but part of a long-term commitment to a healthy, biodiverse ocean.
The San Francisco Bay is big enough for both ships and whales, but only if we have the will to watch out for them. Let’s bring the Whale Desk to the Coast Guard and keep these giants safe in our waters.
Support the Save Willy Act. Protect our whales. Save the Bay.
If you do see a whale in the bay or surrounding area, you can report the sighting and enter observations into the free Whale Alert app on your smartphone or to the Center’s website.
Sources
California Academy of Sciences Confirms 24 Dead Whales in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2025
The Marine Mammal Center 2026 Whale Strandings