Ocean experts are telling boaters to tread lightly, as humpback whales have made their way under the Golden Gate Bridge, through the San Francisco Bay and around other Northern California waters.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, humpback whales make their way into the region to feed on small schooling fish and krill. This year, their prey has made its way closer to shore—and the whales have followed them to nearshore waters in the San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA officials said.
The result has been whale sightings near the shore in places they are not typically spotted, NOAA spokesperson Jennifer Stock said. Though they usually cruise further out at sea, the whales have been spotted roaming near Crissy Field, Stinson Beach and other shores in the region, Stock added.
Stock could not say exactly why humpback whales’ prey have been driven toward the shore this year. But historically, warmer water near the shore has attracted the prey and lured their 50-foot-long predators.